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Personal digital archiving: Simple vs. complex heritage projects

Photo books can be a lot of fun to make. Check out services like Shutterfly and Snapfish for user-friendly templates, or Zno and Blurb for self-publishing services that are a bit more involved. Photo books make great homemade gifts. Also the feeling of satisfaction you get from this kind of DIY personal digital archiving project will make all of your work and research worth it! 

If you plan to make a comprehensive photo book, a professional might be do a better job. Professional services typically range from $50 to around $100 per hour. Graphic design students will usually do these kinds of projects for half the price.

There’s no right way to tackle a family history project. Maybe you have the photos scanned professionally and then you create a book; maybe you record all of the genealogical interviews in your family and then outsource the large digitizing component. It’s important to play to your own strengths and curiosities as you go about your personal digital archiving project and preserve a piece of family history that might otherwise be lost.

Check out this article for more personal digital archiving tips. 

Eric Niloff is the co-founder and CEO of EverPresent, a team of 40 scanning technicians, digital organizers, designers and editors based in Newton, Massachusetts. Eric and his team help thousands of families every year to digitize, organize and share their family photos and videos. Eric writes and advises on how to make family history preservation part of family events, estate plans and other family moments.