World Backup Day is March 31st; Are Your Genealogy Files Safe?

We all know that April 1st is April Fool’s Day, but you probably didn’t know that the day before, March 31st, is World Backup Day. Now, perhaps you are wondering, what on earth is that, and why does it matter? We have all come to rely on technology for so much in our lives, and we often assume it’s going to just work all the time. Sadly, that is not the case. Anything electronic is subject to sudden glitches, and that could mean a damaged file, a file that doesn’t save properly, a file that suddenly disappears, or, even worse, an entire hard drive that malfunctions. What would happen to all your genealogy research if your computer malfunctioned?

Farewell to Our "Guardian Angel" and Recovering Photos from Flood Damage

We lost a very special StLGS member this week, Mary Berthold, whom we frequently called our "guardian angel" because of her never-ending support and generosity. We say a brief farewell here but will celebrate her life more fully in a future Quarterly article. 

It feels as if it has been a week of losses. Not only did we have record-setting rainfall in St. Louis City and County, but flash floods have affected our members throughout the country. Our hearts go out to those of you whose basements and homes have been swamped by rain water and backed up sewers. We want to offer some hope for your photos and documents that have been soaked, and, more importantly, some advice about how to protect those precious keepsakes for the future.