If you read my last post, then you will know that with a month to go I was writing my list for Santa (or at least as a massive hint for loved ones to buy me something useful this year!). So it is very timely that this news has come in from the team at TheGenealogist:
TheGenealogist Family History Shop is now open!
Christmas is coming; it’s that time for giving and receiving again.
Are you looking for some great gifts to make a family historian happy this festive period? Simply head over to the fantastic new shop pages recently added to TheGenealogist for a great selection of scanners, software, archival storage, spring binders and charts. Made available in association with S&N Genealogy Supplies, the UK’s largest genealogy publisher and retailer, your present selection is covered this Yuletide.
While you are there, why not browse for something for yourself? To make sure that you get what you want in your stocking this year, just drop your loved ones the hint by giving them TheGenealogist shop’s page link.
Christmas is coming; it's that time for giving and receiving again. So its probably a good idea to start thinking about what a family historian might want to put on this year's letter to Santa. So here is mine to get people started!
That shoe box of photos, certificates and A4 family-pedigrees could really do with being more organised. I would really love it if, this Christmas, under my tree I'd find some hard backed binders, to protect all that valuable research I've done and preserve it in a more presentable way for future generations of the family to read.
Gift vouchers to allow me to buy exactly what I want are always well received, especially if they are family history related!
I would also be so grateful if that kind person, who regularly gives me the box of shortbread's that does nothing for my waist line after all the other food on offer at this time of year, would substitute the biscuits with a non edible present instead. Perhaps a useful set of charts to present my family tree in a more attractive way than the print out from my computer, or the scribbled hand drawn tree on that sheet of paper that I have at the moment?
At the top of my list (hint ,hint!) would be a portable scanner, to capture images of the certificates and photographs that I see on visits to my relatives or at the archives.
As family historians we collect numerous valuable documents and heirlooms in our family history quest. With those family documents it's worth ensuring you keep a copy on file in case the worst happens and your collection gets damaged. One way of doing this is to use the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner. The scanner allows you to digitise framed photos, albums, medals and pictures larger than the scanner if required.
S&N Genealogy Supplies have produced a demonstration video on the use of the Flip-Pal Scanner which can be viewed below. Have you used a Flip-Pal? What did you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
As documents are increasingly required to be kept and stored electronically, it's becoming more important to be able to scan your precious documents, photos and other memories for quick access and safe keeping and also to avoid having to keep taking the originals out of their album or frame.
However, what is the best type of equipment to use to achieve this? I've looked around and came across the 'Flip-Pal' mobile scanner as pictured below:
Scan anywhere and anything with the Flip Pal scanner
It's easy to scan relatives' photographs and document without fear of damage, or to take the scanner to libraries or archives to scan documents and save on prints. Also using the screen protector, you can scan medals and other items that may scratch the glass without worry.
I purchased the Flip-Pal scanner and the following great features really stood out:
It's Mobile- compact light and durable, cordless and battery powered.
Highly accurate- high quality digital images of 600 & 300 dpi resolution. Colour is true to the original.
Scans quickly and easily
Versatile- scan any size original, from coins to newspapers, including large documents.
It's quick & easy to use- push one button to scan in seconds. Insert the SD card from the scanner into your computer to see the digital images.
The Digital Creativity Suite it comes with is Windows & Mac compatible. It allows expert photo editing , digitally repair damaged photos in seconds. With Corel Paint it's also possible to turn old family photos into works of art!
The Flip Pal Scanner starts at £129.95 and is available at Genealogy Supplies
After testing it out I've been really impressed with just how good this mobile scanner is. Handy to carry about and not in the least bit awkward to use, it's something every family history researcher should have. Having a copy of your work is as essential and important as the original document so for peace of mind this is well worth the money. It also means you are fully prepared should you come across that golden nugget of information when you are visiting a relative or are in your local library when you come across that valuable photo or record!
