Online Research Workshop: Preserving Your Family History Research: Documents, Bound Volumes, & Photographs

Is your closet full of boxes of old family photographs? Is your basement bursting with letters, diaries, scrapbooks, and other documents from your family history research? In this three-day, interactive online experience you’ll learn the best practices for surveying, handling, and storing family materials through lectures from our staff, real-time demonstrations, a one-on-one preservation consultation, and lively Q&A sessions. This program is offered through Zoom meeting, allowing you to interact directly with our experts and other attendees for an immersive and enjoyable learning experience.

For the 30-minute preservation consultation offered as part of this program, participants will be able to submit a photo(s) of one item from their collection and receive advice from our archivists and conservator. Submitted items may include: photographs, albums, scrapbooks, bound volumes, diaries, certificates, and other documents.

This program includes:

• 6 lectures and live demonstrations from our experts
• Live, interactive Q&A sessions with instructors and fellow participants
• A 30-minute one-on-one preservation consultation with our experts focused on one item from your collection. This consultation will take place during the program and will be scheduled by our staff ahead of time.
  Lecture handouts and materials
• Access to all lecture recordings and program materials for the foreseeable future* 

*We will not revoke access to program materials—they will continue to be available as long as our existing website platforms allow us to host the materials. Likely for at a few years or more. 

To join the live presentations beginning on Thursday, February 6, 2024 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time, click: https://zoom.us/j/97470885835 

Please note our Welcome & Introduction session has been postponed to 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time due to an internet outage in our Boston headquarters. Our apologies for the inconvenience!

This same link will be used for all sessions throughout the program, except for your individual consultations. The links for your individual consultations will be sent to you directly closer to the program.

If you are unable to attend the live sessions, you will be able to watch recordings on this event page starting later the same day.

Thursday, February 6

Friday, February 7

Saturday, February 8

This workshop includes a 30-minute one-on-one preservation consultation with our experts focused on one item from your collection. Please submit your item through this form by Monday, February 3: https://form.jotform.com/250223992310146. 

After you submit the form the workshop organizer, Kathleen, will reach out to schedule your consultation to take place during one of the mornings of this three-day program. Questions? Please contact kathleen.mackenzie@americanancestors.org.

Day 1

Class 1: Getting Started: Surveying Your Collection, presented by Judy Lucey

Class 1 Slides (Large)
Class 1 Slides (Worksheet)
Class 1 Handout
Survey Worksheet

Class 2: Caring for Photos, Albums, and Scrapbooks, presented by Todd Pattison

Class 2 Slides (Large)
Class 2 Slides (Worksheet)
Class 2 Handout

Day 2

Class 3: Organizing and Preserving Born-Digital Items, presented by June Henry

Class 3 Slides (Large)
Class 3 Slides (Worksheet)
Class 3 Handout

Additional resource June wanted to share on copyright: 

Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain from Cornell University (Lib-guide) Jan 24, 2025. CC BY 4.0 https://guides.library.cornell.edu/copyright/publicdomain 

Class 4: Best Practices for Digitizing Family Papers and Photographs, presented by June Henry

Class 4 Slides (Large)
Class 4 Slides (Worksheet)
Class 4 Handout

Day 3

Class 5: Preservation Basics, presented by Todd Pattison

Class 5 Slides (Large)
Class 5 Slides (Worksheet)
Resource Guide (must be logged in on AmericanAncestors.org to view)

Class 6: Organizing Your Collection and Preparing for Donation to a Repository, presented by Judy Lucey

Class 6 Slides (Large)
Class 6 Slides (Worksheet)
Class 6 Handout
R. Stanton Avery Collection Donation Guidelines
Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center Donation Guidelines

Day 1 

Welcome & Introductions

Getting Started: Surveying Your Collection

Presented by Judy Lucey
Original broadcast: 02/06/2025

Caring for Photos, Albums, and Scrapbooks

Presented by Todd Pattison
Original broadcast: 02/06/2025

Day 2

Organizing and Preserving Born-Digital Items

Presented by June Henry
Original broadcast: 02/07/2025

Best Practices for Digitizing Family Papers and Photographs

Presented by June Henry
Original broadcast: 02/07/2025

Day 3

Preservation Basics

Presented by Todd Pattison
Original broadcast: 02/08/2025

Organizing Your Collection and Preparing for Donation to a Repository

Presented by Judy Lucey
Original broadcast: 02/08/2025

Additional Links and Resources Shared in Chat

You can find additional links and resources here that were shared in the live zoom chat. This PDF compiles all of the key resources shared by both our experts and fellow participants in the chat over the course of the three-day program.