There is a tool that genealogists can use to help organize their research. SortYourStory is a piece of software that you download onto your computer. It helps you to create digital copies of photos and important documents, and organizes them in a way that makes it easy to find when you need them.
SortYourStory was created by Lorel Kapke, a genealogy expert. The software has been designed as a tool that genealogists can use to store their research quickly, easily, and securely, all in one convenient location. All of it is stored directly on your own personal computer.
SortYourStory costs just $19.99 to download. It comes with the Profiler application that helps you record your research, and the file folders to help you organize it. You also get free online video tutorials, that teach you what the software can do. There also is a newsletter that gives you more tips and tools for better genealogy research organization.
It works on Windows, if you have XP, Vista, or Windows 7. It will take up 8MB of HD space. On Macs, you have to have OS X 10.4 or later, and it will take up 37MB HD space.
It appears that SortYourStory is easy to use. Scan your documents into your computer, and then drag and drop them into the folder you want them in. Once you get everything into the SortYourStory software, it becomes easier to upload that information into the online genealogy websites that you are a member of.
It is a smart idea to make a digital backup of your important genealogy documents and all of the old photos of your ancestors. Some people will store the original documents in a safe deposit box at a bank. That way, if anything happens to their home, like a fire, or a flood, they can rest assured that their genealogy research is safe.
Other people put copies of their genealogy research into an online storage system, like dropbox. Not all genealogists are comfortable having their research stored on hard drives that they do not have complete control over, however.
It seems to me that SortYourStory could give genealogists an “in house” option for storage of digitized genealogy documents. It looks like a good way to get your research, that is scattered in files and folders across your computer, into one place. It also isn’t incredibly expensive, and does not require you to purchase a membership to a genealogy website.
Image by Tom Woodward on Flickr