Friday, December 1, 2006

My book of lists

i sat down the other day and made a new notebook - a book of lists. My lists include:

1) Books I want to buy

2) Books I want to review for content, and the surnames to look for in them. I review each magazine and journal I receive for books to add to my list. When I go to a repository, I note if it has the book.

3) For a given surname, the online databases that I want to review and explore.

4) For a given locality, the online databases that I want to review and explore.

5) Web sites to visit, review and explore. I review each magazine or journal I receive for interesting web sites.

6) A to-do list for each repository I visit.

7) A to-do list for each surname, surname group or locality that I'm actively searching.

This system gives me some record of where I've looked and what I've found. The challenge is to keep adding items to the book each time I do some research online or at a repository, and to note what I find and where I found it.

I keep this notebook of lists - on forms on paper - right next to the computer so I can add to it when I have a worthy thought. I take it with me to the library, and make notes on the forms as appropriate. I can investigate the web sites either at home, at a repository, or on the road with the laptop.

All of this is on top of carrying with me in a separate notebook my ahnentafel lists, my elusive ancestor forms, and tables of sources already searched for each surname and locality.

What lists do you make? Tell me about them - if I like the idea I'll add it to my book.

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