Turning Family Letters into a Book

Do you have in your possession a box of old, forgotten family letters? Perhaps they were written by your parent or grandparent. Before you toss them out, take a moment to consider the historical significance of the letters. They are a window into the lives of your ancestors.

Being an avid amateur genealogist, I cringe when I hear people tell how they easily tossed out such items. While those tossers may have no interest in genealogy, there may be a family member, perhaps a niece, nephew, or great grandchild, who will be thrilled at possessing such a treasure.

For those who have an interest in preserving such letters, either for themselves or for another family member, I have several suggestions. The first, and perhaps easiest, is to prepare a wide three-ring binder, with acid-free page protectors. Put the letters in chronological order, and then slip each one into its own page protector. The binder can be easily viewed and shared, while preserving the integrity of the original letters.

My favorite suggestion requires a bit more work. Yet, in enables you to share the letters with as many family members, who may be interested. After the letters are placed in chronological order, scan each one, creating a JPG file for each on your computer's hard drive.

You will then need to take an Internet trip over to www.lulu.com, and sign up. Lulu is a site that allows users to upload a Word document or PDF file , and from that upload create a professionally bound book. It is relatively inexpensive, a paperback book can be printed for as little as $10 - or less. They also print hardback books, and offer full color.

Using the format specifications listed on the Lulu website, you can create a Word file, and insert the JPG images for each letter. In essence, you will be creating a book. To the Word document you will add necessary pages, such as your title page, and introduction, perhaps even a table of contents. If you are adept in using Word or a similar word processor, you should be up to the task.

When your project is complete, you will have the ability to affordably print out a copy of the book for various family members, which will allow them each to share in possessing your family's treasured letters.

If the letters are difficult to read (and many are), you might consider transcribing the documents, to make them an easier read for future generations. The decision to scan or transcribe, will be determined by the contents of the letters.

If all of this sounds a bit overwhelming, yet intriguing, consider enlisting the help of a computer savvy relative. Those forgotten letters just may become a worthwhile family project.