By Jay Sparks
Indexing is a great way to fuel family history discoveries. Hosting an indexing event in your area can create a fun and collaborative atmosphere where lots of indexing can be done in a short time, allowing more individuals to find family names. With the Worldwide Indexing Event coming on July 15–17, you may wonder how to make your event a success. I spoke with Jim Ericson, a senior product manager for Family Search, and he shared a few best practices.
I. Use Time Efficiently
When putting together an event, it’s important to look for potential problems. One of the biggest challenges with hosting an indexing event can be accessibility to the internet for a large group of people (low bandwidth) or making sure everyone has the proper indexing software. “It’s great if people can come to the event with the indexing software already installed on laptops. And make sure it is already on any desktop computers you are going to use for the event,” Jim says. “Installing the software during the event takes time and can use valuable bandwidth if it hasn’t already been downloaded.”
Other ideas:
- Hold training classes, either one on one or in small groups, so participants feel prepared before they come to the event.
- Find out which youth in your ward or stake know how to index, and encourage them to teach other youth and adults how to get started.
- Establish a set beginning and ending time. People often want to participate in family history, but worry about the time commitment. Participating in a focused, time-bound activity often helps motivate people to get involved.
II. Make Participation, Not Productivity, the Priority
While it’s important to set goals, it’s even more important to make sure each participant gets something out of the experience, whether it’s their first time or fiftieth time indexing. “Indexing is a great community experience,” Jim says. “An indexing event allows you to get immediate help from friends without feeling inadequate.”
Other ideas:
- Encourage participants to work together during indexing. This collaboration can be done by grouping more experienced indexers with those who are just starting out.
- Encourage discussion during indexing. Did someone find a unique name or other interesting aspect in a record? Ask them to share it.
III. Celebrate Accomplishments
Celebrating accomplishments helps maintain enthusiasm. “I think the most popular way by far to celebrate during an indexing event is with food,” Jim says. “Food helps with energy to keep our minds and bodies functioning while trying something new. Indexing requires some focus, so taking a little time to eat something and chat with friends may provide a welcome break.” Other groups have created incentives at the end of events, such as receiving a scoop of ice cream for each batch indexed.
Other ideas include:
- For youth, indexing a certain amount of names before other activities such as dances or sports matches. Indexing names then becomes a ticket to enter those activities.
- Sharing online badges using social media. You can find several badges in the link below that participants can share through social media to let their friends and family know what they’ve accomplished.
- It may sound strange (in more ways than one), but having participants ring a bell or other noisemaker for every batch indexed can add excitement and anticipation.
These tips can help you plan and host a successful indexing event. Your group will have a great time and will provide blessings to people on both sides of the veil.
For more information and resources to help your indexing event be a success, including posters, flyers, and participant badges, visit lds.org/IndexingEventKit.
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