The type of supplies that you would need for genealogy is very different from the types of supplies that you would need with the average hobby.
It is basically information and the types of things that you would use to get the information.
So where does one start? * The number tool today to help you with genealogy is the home computer.
Whether using the Internet to research ancestors, using computer software programs to organize and store family history information, or using email to contact other researchers and family members, the marriage between the computer and genealogy is a match made in heaven.
You can record everything you know about yourself and your family and enter this information into a genealogy software program.
With genealogy software you can now house and organize all of the pictures and documents that you may have scanned onto your computer.
There are many software packages and online services out there.
Remember: The more comfortable you are using a computer, the more the Internet can help.
* You can also take a course in genealogy through an adult education program, a local library, or online classroom.
* Consider connecting with other genealogists by joining a local genealogy society, an ethnic genealogy society (if relevant), or a national genealogy society.
* Possibly join a family association-search for phrases like "Willard Family Association" from an Internet search engine to see if a family association for your surname exists.
* Definitely consult a good how-to book like the one mentioned at the end of this article.
What are the methods I should use to organize my information? Of course, there are the genealogy software programs mentioned above which can do that.
However, you can just use pencil and paper to help you organize your family's information through the following means: * Write individual data on note cards to be filed alphabetically by last name.
* Draft a five-generation pedigree chart.
* Create a family group sheet.
* Get a good notebook.
You could even use a notebook that has sections in it any you can separate the book into families or generations.
* Look for templates, forms or charts that you can print out from the internet will solve a lot of these problems for you.
Although genealogy does not require a lot of different supplies, it is the supplies that make your hunt for your family history easy and fun to do.