Saturday, April 27, 2013
Poll: How do you share?
I've been pondering this problem for a bit and I'm not sure how to fix it, so I wanted to post a question to you. What's the best way of regularly sharing my findings with the residents? I've been spending a lot of time in Photoshop cropping and manipulating the records to get the important information on one page of paper and then printing the result. Unfortunately, this is a rather time-consuming process, but I don't know how else to do it: Printing the documents in their raw format will be illegible. (Think of printing a census record on a single page). I've thought about the idea of displaying results on a tablet that we could then zoom in and out with, but I can't really leave that with the residents either. It's nice that I can leave behind a paper copy they can review while I'm gone, but I'm just wondering if anyone out there has an idea for a better way to do this. What are your thoughts?
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I don't really have any ideas on what would be the best approach for this dilemma, but I did want to say I think what you are doing is fantastic! I just read about your blog on GeneaBloggers this morning, so this is a new blog to me.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what type of facility you are working with. I think that might determine what is the best approach. One way would be to check with the resident's family. Perhaps they would have some ideas of what would work--and also would love to have a copy of your findings! They might also have a tablet to which your report may be downloaded and that they can share with their family member, the resident, from time to time.
I know there are some facilities--more along the lines of assisted living or short-stay convalescent (post surgery) where there is a community computer that any resident may access. (A facility I know of also offers their residents free wifi, if they choose to keep their own laptop or tablet in their room.)
In a case like that, perhaps you could set up a website, similar to those used by independent photographers, with an entry code allowing the resident--and his or her invited guests--to browse through and share the material at will.
Best wishes as you continue blogging and doing this thoughtful volunteer effort!
Welcome to Geneabloggers. Your volunteer genealogy project is wonderful. I'm sure you will find a selection of ways that your new friends can preserve the family history you discover for them. I do agree with Jacqi that a website for the family to share the history might be a great option for those who are somewhat techie. Perhaps suggesting one of the free online database software programs offered by Roots Magic or Legacy might spur someone in the family to continue what you've started. Or if you posted your information on a free Blogger website, any number of people in the family could contribute and/or view it. Of course, others will feel the best with the stories inserted into a photo album. Good luck. You're an inspiration.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Geneabloggers. I applaud your endeavor to bring genealogy to the nursinghome community. I look forward to more about this project; the residents and their families must be so appreciative. Thank you for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful idea. Thank you for sharing your plans and experiences with us.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, thanks so much for visiting, everyone! Happy to have you here on my blog. Jacqi, yes, there is a shared computer at the nursing home, but I've never really seen it in use. It seems like it's mostly for Skype for relatives to say 'hi' (which means a staff member is setting it up for them). I do like the ideas that you and Nancy are suggesting - getting her family a bit more involved in the process. That will certainly be a goal long-term. My question was more of a short-term question - in my regular meetings, what's the best way to share information then? Just want to maximize my efficiency, and make sure it's a solution that the residents will be able to enjoy even when I'm not there.
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