It has been a few months since I managed to sit down and write. I have been busy with many great genealogical opportunities from projects to research trips to conferences. Not to mention everyday life such as kids’ events, car repairs, having a cold, playing with a new puppy, etc. You know, life. But I’m back and planning a new series of posts.

In this series, I’m going to write about several aspects of “preparedness.” It has come up recently from different situations and a variety of angles. I’m going to address my ideas of being prepared for research trips, conference planning, what to do if you have a chance to consult with a professional, how to prepare to become a professional… And any other nuance of the idea of being prepared I come up with between now and the end of the series.

I am not going to talk too much about being prepared for natural disasters, computer failures, or theft. I think we all know that the best thing you can do is offsite back-up, at the least. I use BackBlaze and have never had any trouble with it. I have used other programs in the past and only really switched because their prices are much more affordable for my needs. There are a number of programs and services out there for this type of preparedness.

Another way to prepare for disaster is to get your research written and shared. There are a lot of ways to share: within your family, with a local genealogical society quarterly, a state-level quarterly, in magazines and journals on the national level such as in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly. Or you can publish it yourself through an e-book, a website or blog, or a print-on-demand service like Lulu.

So, the idea of preparedness as a researcher and professional will be covered over the next several blog posts. I will share ways I do prepare and ways I fail miserably and the consequences, both good and bad.