I've been researching my family history for over thirty years. Along this genealogy journey I have been supported by hundreds of books, many of which I have listed on my Librarything page.
During the 2021 #AtoZChallenge I will be writing about two of my passions, books and family history. I'll be taking a trip down memory lane and revisiting some of those books that have enriched my genealogy experience.
I tend to avoid reading help manuals from cover to cover but I will turn to a manual when I can't work something out for myself. In some situations I find it helpful to have a book that contains clear instructions beside me so that I can follow step by step instructions to master a skill or task. I find it easier to follow printed instructions that are beside then following instructions in a help menu on a screen.
One such book that has helped me enormously is Getting the Most from Family Historian 6 by the program's developer Simon Orde. Although a new version of Family Historian, version 7, has recently been released most of the content in Simon's book is relevant to version 7 users.
No matter what desktop software you use a well-written and organised guide with a detailed index written for your software will be a valuable addition to your library.
Getting the Most from Family Historian 6 is available from The Family Historian Store.
I am about to try using Zotero for genealogy, and I am with you on the "feet first" approach. I have attended one webinar, by Ontario Ancestors, to get me started. But like you, I need to learn by doing...after A to Z, of course :-) https://mollyscanopy.com/
ReplyDeleteMolly, I used Zotero quite a few years ago when it was first released.
ReplyDeleteBack in 2012 I blogged "I tried Zotero, a product developed in a tertiary institution for use by students, but found that it was not as easy to access from a range of devices especially my android tablet and phone."
I wonder if that is still the case?
Likewise, I usually only learn the theory of something from reading about it, and only learn how to actually do it by trial and error. Though, if you're struggling with the doing, it's always good to have a reference book at hand.
ReplyDeleteI Glendalough t just leap in too and do prefer to have a help manual when I need it, preferably printed.
ReplyDeleteHeaven knows what autocorrect changed. Generally I try the leap in approach but like to have a “help” option when I get stuck.
ReplyDeletePauleen I knew what you meant.
ReplyDelete