| If you want to learn more about your ancestors, | | | | your ancestors, as well. Family stories or traditions |
| you need to know how to begin. Luckily, it is not | | | | may have a wonderful clue to help you find an |
| rocket science, and you can learn a lot by | | | | ancestor. Remember that whatever you receive |
| following these three first steps, baby steps, to | | | | from your relatives needs to be labelled as to |
| build your family tree. Are you having difficulty | | | | who it came from, so you can give it back once |
| figuring out exactly where to begin? Whether to | | | | you've copied or scanned it and saved all the |
| go down to all the littlest babies in the family? Or, | | | | details. Look for treasure everywhere in the |
| back a number of generations to your ancestors | | | | various family homes. Perhaps you might have a |
| in the "old country"? Who is the first person you | | | | family picnic asking people to bring and share |
| should put into the tree? Mom? Grampa? The | | | | some of their records, photos, medals, stories, |
| short answer is that you can do any of the | | | | and more. Most family members are happy to do |
| above, depending on the reason(s) you are | | | | this, particularly happy that it is YOU doing this |
| wanting to build your family tree. But in general, | | | | family tree work! |
| there are a few basic steps about starting to build | | | | 3. ENROLL in a basic genealogy course. |
| your family tree. | | | | Most communities these days provide workshops |
| 1. YOU, first. | | | | or courses throughout the year. For example, |
| That is right - start with yourself. Partly it is | | | | your public library may have a one hour workshop |
| suggested you do this in order to teach yourself | | | | on how to use the particular genealogy resources |
| the very basics of genealogy research: details, | | | | available in the library. Your local genealogy society |
| details, details, and then correctly recording the | | | | may have regular educational lectures or |
| sources of each of those details. This is excellent | | | | discussions, or groups meeting on specific topics; |
| training when you get back several generations | | | | they may put on conferences once or more a |
| and have to prove that you have the correct | | | | year. Local community centers may also have a |
| great great grandfather, when there were 4 | | | | genealogist or expert amateur providing very |
| William Gordon Dunbar men in the same county | | | | inexpensive classes on genealogy for beginners. |
| at the same time. You have lots of information, | | | | Do not try to do this all on your own - you will |
| documents and photos on yourself during various | | | | end up re-inventing the wheel, when by following |
| life events. You will learn how to record all life | | | | the advice and recommendations of others, you |
| events correctly, cite your sources for these | | | | may find it much easier. Avoid the pitfalls of online |
| details (birth record, marriage, graduation, etc.), file | | | | genealogy research, and learn about the |
| your information in a practical sensible way, and | | | | wonderful possibilities both online and offline by |
| then learn how to organize your next search. | | | | enrolling in a basic genealogy course. |
| There is lots to learn, but "how-to" articles and | | | | Next three steps? |
| guides are everywhere: on the web, in library | | | | - Join a genealogy society - they have regular |
| books, in articles online as well as in magazines | | | | workshops, conferences, publish a journal, keep a |
| devoted to family trees. Learn by using yourself | | | | library for their members to search, and more. |
| as the first person to research. | | | | - Look for a family tree software program (often |
| 2. TREASURE - it is everywhere. | | | | free or inexpensive), and free forms or charts to |
| Start looking through cupboards, closets, drawers, | | | | help you organize the information you have found |
| trunks and old chests, basements and attics, | | | | after following the above three steps. |
| photo albums, scrapbooks, and more. There could | | | | - Get some file folders, coloured labels, coloured |
| be something engraved, or medals, or that | | | | markers, and archival paper, so that you will be |
| collectible of an exciting world event, or photos | | | | able to file your wonderful documents and copies |
| with full names and dates on the back (wow!). | | | | of information or photos, correctly. |
| Search through all of your home hiding places, and | | | | As you can see, these first three steps do not |
| let your cousins and relatives that you would | | | | even require an internet connection or a |
| appreciate seeing any items they might have that | | | | computer at home. Much genealogy information is |
| could help you build the family tree. You may find | | | | freely available in your library, community, and |
| that a grandmother wrote a diary for 20 years | | | | genealogy society. From family tree software |
| and one aunt still has it. | | | | reviews to free genealogy resources, there is a |
| Or, a great-uncle started a family tree but then | | | | wealth of information and resources available to a |
| died; however, one of the cousins has a copy of | | | | person beginning to build a family tree. Tracing |
| this work plus a few photos and documents he | | | | your ancestors has never been easier. Enjoy your |
| collected "in an old box in the attic". Ask | | | | searches. |
| everyone. Interview your relatives for stories of | | | | |