The Family Archive Checklist: 25 Things You Should Preserve Before They're Lost

What should you keep in a family archive?

A family archive should preserve the records, photographs, stories and keepsakes that help future generations understand who your family was—not just when people were born or where they lived.

Many families unintentionally preserve too little. Others keep everything, making it difficult to find what truly matters.

The goal isn't to save every piece of paper you've ever owned. It's to preserve the items that tell your family's story.

If you're not sure where to begin, this checklist is an excellent starting point.

Start with the irreplaceable

Some things can be replaced.

A birth certificate can often be ordered again. A newspaper article may exist in a library archive.

Others exist only once - These are the items that deserve your attention first.

Family photographs

Printed photographs, albums, negatives and slides often capture moments that exist nowhere else. Identify the people, places and approximate dates while someone still remembers them.

Home videos

Whether they're on VHS tapes, DVDs or digital files, family videos preserve movement, personality and everyday life in a way photographs cannot.

Audio recordings

Old cassette tapes, answering machine recordings, voicemails and recordings of loved ones can become some of the most treasured items in a family archive.

Handwritten letters

Letters reveal personality, relationships and history in ways few other records can.

Diaries and journals

Personal journals offer an invaluable glimpse into everyday life and the thoughts of previous generations.

Preserve the records that tell your family's story

Official documents help establish the timeline of a family's history.

Consider preserving:

• Birth certificates

• Marriage certificates

• Death certificates

• Citizenship papers

• Passports

• Military service records

• School reports and qualifications

• Apprenticeship or trade certificates

• Awards and honours

• Property records and significant legal documents

These documents provide important milestones and context for future generations.

Don't overlook the everyday treasures

Sometimes the most meaningful items aren't official at all.

Think about preserving:

• Family recipes

• Christmas cards with handwritten messages

• Children's artwork

• Holiday itineraries

• Travel journals

• Wedding invitations

• Funeral service booklets

• Birthday cards

• Newspaper clippings

• Programmes from important events

These everyday keepsakes often evoke memories that no official document ever could.

Digital memories deserve a place too

Today's family history is increasingly digital.

Without a plan, it can also disappear surprisingly quickly.

Your archive should include thoughtfully selected digital material such as:

• Important digital photographs

• Videos from phones and cameras

• Emails with lasting significance

• Digital family newsletters

• Scanned documents

• Recorded interviews

• Voice messages

• Family history research files

Digital memories deserve the same care and organisation as physical ones.

The one thing most families forget

If there is one item almost every family overlooks, it's context.

A photograph without names, a recipe you have forgotten whose handwriting it is.

A medal without an explanation. A wedding dress with no story attached.

The object survives, but the meaning doesn't. These are the items to think of.

As you organise your archive, make a habit of recording simple details such as:

• Who?

• What?

• Where?

• When?

• Why did this matter?
  

These five questions often become the difference between an interesting object and a treasured family story.

Your family archive checklist

Use this list as a starting point.

✓ Printed photographs

✓ Digital photographs

✓ Family photo albums

✓ Negatives and slides

✓ Home videos

✓ VHS tapes

✓ Audio recordings

✓ Handwritten letters

✓ Diaries and journals

✓ Birth certificates

✓ Marriage certificates

✓ Death certificates

✓ Military records

✓ School records

✓ Awards and certificates

✓ Property documents

✓ Family recipes

✓ Children's artwork

✓ Greeting cards

✓ Newspaper clippings

✓ Wedding and funeral memorabilia

✓ Recorded family stories

✓ Important emails or digital correspondence

✓ Family trees and research notes

✓ Labels, captions and written explanations for everything above

Remember, you don't need to complete this checklist in a weekend. A family archive grows over time, one story and one carefully preserved item at a time.

The Archivist's takeaway

The most valuable family archives aren't necessarily the largest, they're the ones that preserve the moments, relationships and stories that would otherwise disappear.

By choosing thoughtfully, organising carefully and recording the context behind each item, you're creating something far more enduring than a collection of possessions. You're creating a legacy that future generations can understand, appreciate and continue.

At The Archivist, this checklist forms the foundation of every personal archive we help families create. It reflects a simple principle: preserve what matters, explain why it mattered, and make it accessible for those who come after you.

References & Further Reading

Best Practice Guidance on Digital Storage and Preservation | Archives New Zealand (2024)

Caring for Your Collections | National Library of New Zealand (2025)

Digital Preservation Programme | National Library of New Zealand (2025)

Preservation Digitisation Standards | National Archives of Australia (2024)

Digital Preservation Handbook | Digital Preservation Coalition (2024)