A Paperless Research Trip

Have you ever gone on a research trip without printing anything to take with you? I'm talking about to do lists, research plans, maps, directions, family group sheets, timelines - all the stuff you need to remind you what you already know, what you want to find and where you need to go. 

I have experimented with this idea a couple of times on day trips to the Kentucky Archives and it worked out just fine. When I went to the archives, I had my Legacy Family Tree database on an Android phone using the Families app and a list of people I wanted to research in a memo app on the phone. From the memo, I knew which people in my database to check for "to do" items. I walked into the archives with a blank legal pad, pencil and my phone and walked out with the records I was looking for each time.

Now I'm ready to go paperless on a four-day research trip out of state. Since my test with the phone, I bought an Android tablet and that is what I'll be using for the most part on this trip.  

Granted, the thoughts of no back-up directions made me a little nervous after Lula (my GPS) got me seriously lost a couple of months ago so I saved Google Maps directions to PDF and loaded them to both devices in advance. That way I'm covered if Lula or cell service fails me in rural Georgia. 

The fun starts this morning. I'll report back later in the week.