What Fits
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| The Winged Victory of Samothrace, Louvre Museum. photo by Carole Raddato: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0 |
Are you a sculptor, or a basket weaver?
Creating a work of art out of a block of marble is very different from gathering materials and then weaving them together into a basket. Humans have done such things since before recorded history, but rarely are such works created by the same person. We are all different, and so we will all approach our family history-keeping in different ways. And maybe you are an artist, quilter, painter, creator of montages. Do you find bliss in marrying your love of family history with your art?
Do you love listening to stories?
Capture them! We are not all natural writers, and not everyone wants to dig into dusty archives or spend hours researching online. What are your strengths, your natural bent, hobbies, and pastimes? Also, the best interviewers are good listeners. Interviews published here in the SKCGS Blog have been some of our most popular posts.
Did you know that the Library of Congress has free software designed to record conversations and interviews with family members, and will store them privately or publicly. See The StoryCorps Archive for more. Thanks to the BGRG, Black Genealogy Research Group of Seattle for spreading the word about this wonderful opportunity to capture our personal histories in a way unique to each family. Your descendants and relatives will bless you for capturing the voices of the past.
Transcribing and Indexing
Do you love archives, and want to volunteer there? It was volunteers in the regional archives who created the indexes now in our Washington State Digital Archives, including many of our SKCGS Members. In fact, you can do this at home now! https://digitalarchives.wa.gov/StaticContent/volunteers. I've done a bit, and it's fun!
We know that as good researchers, we should transcribe the records we find. Sharpen your transcription skills here: Smithsonian Digital Volunteers: Transcription Center and help researchers find their ancestors, while getting experience with old documents.
Do you love making pictures outdoors?
Perhaps you would enjoy visiting local cemeteries and help Find A Grave and/or Billion Graves add headstone images for those who live far away from where their ancestors rest. The apps for your cell phone are free, and will supply accurate location information as the images are uploaded, so people traveling from afar can find the grave site. If instead you enjoy creating images, our SKCGS Publicity team could use your help. Publicity@skcgs.org. If you are an enthusiastic user of software or websites helpful to genealogists and family historians, our TUG (Tech User Group) needs you! Attend a meeting and speak up; we all want to hear tips and tricks or be reminded of updates.
Do you enjoy the challenge of DNA mystery?
Perhaps you would like to help DNA Doe, or become a DNA Angel on Wikitree? SKCGS hosts monthly Genetic Genealogy/DNA interest group meetings. Find out more: https://skcgs.groups.io/g/Genetic-Genealogy.
If you enjoy working with others, Wikitree hosts hundreds of projects which could use your attention, from programmers who create apps, to those who focus on certain places, surnames or groups of people, such as the formerly enslaved, ethnic groups, and certain time periods where expert help is necessary. See more at https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Category:Projects. Click around and prepare to be impressed by the variety.
Do you enjoy helping others?
How about volunteering in our local KCLS libraries at our monthly genealogy help desks? You need not be an expert, just be willing to help. Write to Outreach@skcgs.org to volunteer. You will learn so much as you assist others on their family history journey.
In short, find your joy, sculpt or weave to create the work you LOVE.
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| Photo of Lady weaving a basket by Frankincense Diala Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International |
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| Valorie Zimmerman |
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