How to submit information
to the Tompkins County Website

Many people have contacted us, asking the best way to submit information to the Tompkins County site. We are happy to accept your donated information in any format, but there are some things you can do to make it easier for us, and that will ensure that your information goes up on the website that much faster.

If you would like to donate material to the website, please email us. If you want more information about best formats for sending material, read on.

There are three types of records that people generally submit:

Genealogies and Newspaper Articles
Cemetery, Census and similar records
Photographs, Post Cards, Maps

Genealogies

The best file format for genealogies and articles is .rtf, or Rich Text Format. Word and WordPerfect let you save in this format. A Word or WordPerfect file is also fine. These files can be converted quickly into a web page. Usually, you can create a genealogy with your genealogy program and save it as one of these formats. We have included instructions for some of the more popular programs:

Family Tree Maker
PAF

Cemetery, Census and Similar Records

Surname,Given Names,Dates,Notes
Smith,Joe,1781-1845,son of John and Jane (Jones) Smith

Photographs, Post Cards, Maps

Steps for producing a Genealogy using Family Tree Maker

1. Select the individual who will be the first person in the Genealogy.
2. Click the Genealogy Report button.
3. Select Edit/Copy Genealogy Report.
4. In Word, or another word processing program, paste the report into a blank document.
5. Save your genealogy with an .rtf extension. You can email this file to us, and we'll convert it to internet format.

Steps for producing a Genealogy using PAF 5.0

1. Select the individual who will be the first person in the Genealogy.
2. Select File/Print Reports... or Ctrl + P to access the Reports and Charts dialog box. Click the Books tab.
3. Under Type of Book, select Modified register (Descendancy).
4. Select your options under Chart Options. (The default settings are probably fine, but you may wish to play with the settings to find the particular look you want.)
5. Hit the Preview button to make sure the chart looks the way you want it to.
6. When you are ready to create your genealogy, check the Print to file option at the bottom right, then click the Print button. You will be prompted to give the file a name with an .rtf extension. You can email this file to us, and we'll convert it to internet format.

Steps for Producing a Descendants Chart from PAF 5.0

1. Select the individual who will be at the top of the Descendants.
2. Select File/Print Reports... or Ctrl + P to access the Reports and Charts dialog box. Click the Descendants tab.
3. Select your options under Chart Options. (The default settings are probably fine, but you may wish to play with the settings to find the particular look you want.)
4. Hit the Preview button to make sure the chart looks the way you want it to.
5. When you are ready to create your descendants chart, check the Print to file option at the bottom right, then click the Print button. You will be prompted to give the file a name with an .rtf extension. You can email this file to us, and we'll convert it to internet format.