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Getting Acquainted with P.A.F. 5.2.18

Presentation by Joyce A. Brannan, Technical Services Librarian, Julia Tutwiler Library, University of West Alabama, Livingston, Alabama.

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Personal Ancestral File, P.A.F., is designed by and the copyright owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is

provided free for personal use.

It may be downloaded from http://www.familysearch.org.

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This presentation will only acquaint you with the basic potential of the program. It is suggested that you enter one family and explore the possibilities of the program before you enter extensive amounts of data.

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This is a family group screen. “Lessons” on the drop down help menu has been selected.

5Use the lessons.

6Everything you need to know is explained with illustrations of the screens.

7Notice that the dates are entered European style, day/month/year. This is recommended but not mandatory.

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You can keep all kinds of notes. Use the ! and the ~ features to maintain privacy.

9Genealogy requires sources. ALWAYS include your source for your information.

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“My grandmother told me,” is a source! Record oral interviews even if they were just family stories. Family traditions are an important part of compiling a family history.

11You can print pedigree charts with or without photographs.

12You can print family group records with or without the pictures. You can also print blank family group record sheets.

13There are other reports that can be printed in addition to these. It is also possible to design your own reports.

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Many other genealogy programs are GEDCOM compatible. This allows easy exchange of information with others.

15You can add pictures from any file on your computer.

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Under help, there are lessons, a 198 page user’s guide, and a 10 page getting started guide in addition to the searchable help topics. If you don’t know how to do something, Look it up!!!

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The “help topics” works the same way that Microsoft Office Helps works. This screen show the “Contents.

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Selecting the index tab allows you to type a search term. Find the term closest to your keyword and click on “display.”

19You will get another selection that further narrows your topic.

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Before you enter family data, you will need to set up your preferences. These may be adjusted at any time.

21Fill out your personal information.

22Select general preferences.

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It is suggested that you use initials, largest place to smallest, and European dating. If you decide to change, only dates and initials will automatically change. Places must be individually edited.

24This is a pedigree chart for my mother’s ancestry. I have not merged all my family lines into one PAF file. If I point to an individual and click, I will get ...

25A screen for individual information.

26PAF remembers dates and places that you have entered in previous records. You do not have to retype the same location multiple times.

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You may have several unrelated families as different files. The four most recently accessed families will be at the bottom of the drop down “file” menu.

28This is a family group screen. Notice the relationship indicator in the bottom left corner. This option is available in preferences.

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This has been an overview of how to use PAF to keep your family history records. It is much easier and more efficient than writing and rewriting family group sheets. It is important to keep backups of your information. If all your data is on one disk, one storm could wipe out everything.

I personally recommend that several people be given copies of your information whether they want it or not.

I have a paper copy, a copy on my hard drive, and a floppy back-up.

Each of my children have a paper copy and a CD that I have burned.

Better safe than sorry!!

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