Best way to sort paper documents-oldest or newest events on top?

[Lisa in California]

I have been researching for many years; I have a huge collection of papers in family binders (each "main" branch has its own binder) and (somewhat recently printed) papers that have not yet made it into the binders.  I will photograph/scan them as soon as I can sort everything as I know it is better to save things digitally.

Some binders have papers sorted with older events on top, and some binders have papers with the most recent events on top.  I know that I have multiple copies of some documents/correspondence.  My goal is to reduce the amount of documents by removing multiple copies, which would also make it easier to digitise.

I can't make up my mind which method is better (and I'm getting frustrated with my indecision):  when a binder is opened, be able to read the oldest document (and get a feeling of when and where the family lived long ago), or read the newest documents (which could reference known relatives)?  Suggestions of what has worked best (providing people still have paper records)  is very much appreciated.  Thank you, Lisa

PS  I may have asked this question a couple of/few years ago, but I cannot find the topic and I am now serious about getting this project done as genealogy has taken over our dining room.

[a chesters]

The way I have organised my paper records is a separate plastic archival folder for each person.

In the front I have a form which has things like date of birth/baptism, banns, marriage, death, burial etc. I put in the actual date when I have the copy of the appropriate certificate.

As most of my people are from UK, I have a list of the census's, and again write in when I have the form.

Then there are sections for directories, phone information, electoral records, school records, and spare space for other miscellaneous records.

I start at the beginning, ie birth, and end with death/burial, all in chronological order.

Yes some records are duplicated, ie marriage records, and census records, but each person has their own file.

That is how I have done it, but it is a case of what suits you best.

A Chesters

[Lisa in California]

Hi A Chesters:

I resisted putting my tree online but now that I have finally decided to do so, it would make a lot of sense to place paper documents into archival folders.  Once I am caught up with adding information to the online trees (one for my mum's side, one for my dad's side) and once I've scanned documents, there really shouldn't been a need to be able to see each paper copy.  I also like the idea of having the form that shows what each folder contains.

Thank you for your sharing your process; it is tidy and manageable.  Lisa

[Erato]

It depends whether you think of your tree as a project of digging back from the present into the past or of tracing the descendants of long-dead ancestors into the future.

Personally, I think of it the second way but that isn't the way I store my [digital] documents.  I don't organize by person or family but rather by type of record.  I have numerous folders for censuses, BMDs, land records, newspaper articles, military, immigration, photographs, etc.  In the notes attached to each person in my tree, I just include a skeletal accounting of the records [for example:  1930 census - Endeavor, Wisconsin, age 80, widowed, living alone].  If I want to see more detail, I go to the 1930 census folder.

[Lisa in California]

Hi Erato:

Your way of filing makes sense, too, and also seems to be a very tidy way of keeping original documents.

I think of my tree as digging back from the present but maybe what I could do is just for now, get the papers into the binders and not be concerned about if they are newer or older on top.  One branch makes more sense to have the newer records first to show what lead me to our ancestors and another branch makes more sense to have the older records first (as I have several copies of old documents that were given to me by a distant relative).

Thank you Erato for sharing your process; I appreciate your input.  Lisa

[Erato]

Why don't you arrange the documents by date [in either direction].  Then, when you scan them, give them coded file names in the date order.

For example:  A1. John Jones birth certificate 1907;  A2. John Jones census 1910;  A3. John Jones kindergarten good conduct medal 1912   .....   C7. John Jones death certificate 1988.

Then the documents in the digital file can be sorted in either ascending or descending alphabetical order so you can have the best of both worlds.

[Lisa in California]

Great idea, Erato.  I could also write the codes on the form that A Chester suggested for easy reference between electronic and paper copies.  Thank you again for your suggestions. 

[a chesters]

Here is a copy of the form I have been using. As you can see there is room for additions not covered by the standard. Also it can be altered to suit different countries. The census list is for the British census's, but the US census's are at different times. The form could easily be changed.

I hope it gives you some ideas.
~~~~~~~~---------------------
Name:                           No:            Country:
                              File:

Birth:                        Individual Report:
Baptism:
Banns:                        Directories:
Marriage:
Death:
Burial:
Will:
Probate:                        Phone Books:


   Census
   1841:
   1851:
   1861:                     Newspaper Reports
   1871:
   1881:
   1891:
   1901:
   1911:                     Electoral Rolls:

Education:
~~~~~~~~---------------------

I have it as a word doc, but cannot upload it.

I use an A4 page, landscape orientation.

AC

[Billyblue]

Whichever way you decide - oldest on top or newest on top - be consistent and do all the folders the same way.
Otherwise, down the track you'll find yourself in a muddle trying to remember which is which.

If you're using lever arch folders, it's usually easier to put newest on top.

I 'colour code' my folders, so all Dad's paternal line is in red folders, maternal line in blue folders, Mum's paternal line in yellow and maternal in green.  Back in days when letters were typed on typewriters - yes some are that old! - I tried to put the carbon copies / printouts in the relevant colours too. 
Or you could use different coloured high-lighters / crayons to mark the end / edge of pages.  Makes sorting for filing just a little bit quicker if you don't file things straight away but wait till there's a heap of them to file     

Dawn M