Researching a family history generates a plethora of documents, photographs, stories and information. What should you do with it all and how are these treasures best preserved? This 4-week evening course looks at how best to preserve and pass on our research. We will look at caring for paper documents and photographs, digital information and outdated media.

1. Beyond the Grave: Preserving & Passing on Our Research, Thurs 13 Nov 2025 7.30-8.30pm - Clare Wilson

Discuss proactive strategies to ensure that the countless hours, sweat, challenges and money that you've invested in this passion are preserved, from digitisation to ensuring your work is properly backed up. Gain valuable insights into how best to pass on your research, consider who you should pass it onto and how to ensure your wishes are carried out.

2. Caring for Paper Documents, Thurs 20 Nov 2025 7.30-8.30pm - Christine Worthington 

No matter how much research happens digitally these days, most of us have accumulated quite a lot of paper along our family history journey - whether they be records accumulated in our own time, or original and often fragile documents from times past. None of us live in archival standard conditions at home, so what can we do to keep our paper documents safe from all manner of possible harms? We’ll talk about the everyday things we can do to keep our precious documents in the best possible condition for the future.

3. Digitising and Preserving Old Media Effectively, Thurs 27 Nov 2025 7.30-8.30pm - Simon Davies

Do you have a variety of old media holding precious family memories? (VHS, Betamax, DAT, Mini DV tapes or glass plate negatives anyone?!) As technology changes, once-common formats become harder to access putting our family history at risk. This talk will follow a timeline of technology and explore how to move from outdated to modern formats and ensure your digital legacy remains accessible and meaningful for future generations. Learn how to save and share your family's story so it survives and thrives long into the future.

4. Caring for Your Physical Family History Photos, Thurs 4 Dec 2025 7.30-8.30pm - Stephen Gill

Discover how to safeguard your treasured family photographs for future generations. Whether you have daguerreotypes, tintypes, slides, Polaroids or snapshots from the 20th century, this session will guide you through best practices for preserving a wide range of photo formats. Learn how to properly handle, store and protect these irreplaceable items from deterioration. We’ll also explore scanning and options for reproducing images for display and archiving, ensuring that your visual family legacy remains safe and accessible for years to come.

Each class will be recorded and those who have booked the course will be able to catch up on recordings until 18 December 2025.

Click here for information about our events.  Contact events@sog.org.uk if you have any questions.