What about a census record? If Walter Washington DAVIES was found on a Federal Census record, listing his wife, and his several children, where would it be filed? Behind his MRIN - #13. However, even though a census record lists information about children, who may marry later in their lives, it is not necessary to make duplicate copies of this record and file behind each person.

If you set up good rules, and use those rules, you will always be able to find this census copy in a matter of seconds without making duplicate copies. Say, for example, your rule is to file the census record always under the head of household in the census. But you are making transcripts of each record and then copying the transcript under the person to whom the record applies. When you read the transcript you will know immediately which family has the copy of the document.

Also, since census records are so easy to obtain today, it is not necessary to file them in an archival sleeve. Those sleeves become very heavy and can double or triple the size of a notebook. Unless the document is something that cannot be replaced, just keep an electronic copy of the image for publishing purposes later, but hole punch paper copies of documents and file them behind the appropriate families. Later, as you have the time, the electronic copies of the documents can be used for a published history online or on paper.

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