Organizing is a Bunch of Four Letter Words
Thanks to Twisted Twigs on Gnarled Branches via Facebook |
Organizing is a bunch of four letter words--sort, list, file, scan, copy, move. . .and a few others not to be uttered in polite society.
Of those words, "List" should be one of your first actions. Take an inventory of what you have and at least mentally remember where it is located now. You might be surprised what you have in your file boxes and bookshelves. Recently I spotted a book on my bookshelf that I could have used a few times myself and could have shared with others.
A few years ago I prepared a presentation about the rectangular land survey system by which federal lands were allocated under various land grant acts including the Homestead Act of 1862. In the course of the presentation and several times in my own research I have encountered reference to Military Bounty Warrants. While I roughly know what they are, I have felt I needed to learn more about them but have never made the time to do so.
What's On Your Shelf?
One day recently I looked at the bookcase to the left of my computer desk and with shock, read the book title, Military Bounty Land 1776-1855 by Christine Rose, published in 2011. I probably purchased this at a seminar but I sure don't remember where or when. There it was, in my bookcase, all this time!This book explains the process of applying for and receiving warrants for land awarded both by the federal government and some states after the Revolutionary War. It also relates the location of files and how to find applications and warrants. This valuable information is one more research tool.
Lookups, Sharing, Collaboration
I am willing to do lookups to help people find more information so I am listing it at a page we have recently set up at Books: Pleasure, Learning, Lookups: https://skcgs.groups.io/g/Society/wiki/32706While you are doing your organizing, please consider listing books you are willing to share with others. It's easy to edit the wiki page and you may have just the information someone else needs.
Good luck with your 2023 New Year's resolution about organizing. Keep at it and soon your office assistant will be very pleased with your progress.
I have such a mess, I don't know where to begin.......(:
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I'm sure many of us can relate! The key is to just begin. Do one thing. Then do another, and soon you are "in progress." It can be overwhelming, but doing one thing helps.
DeleteI can relate to this situation; I'm presently trying to spend several hours each day to sorting by family name many of the papers I have in folders & then to enter said information into specific family binders. I found photos without names from a great-uncle's funeral gathering. I knew most of the attendees, so have typed names, the date & location and will put these on pages into his book. One task completed once ''Pap's" book goes back on the shelf.
ReplyDelete