You may not have realized it, but theres a Golden Rule of Genealogy: Leave for your descendants what you wish your ancestors had left for you. Youve spent years digging up data and stories to breathe life into the grandparents and great-grandparents whove made your existenceand your childrenspossible. But what are you doing to ensure your familys legacy will be around after youre gone?

In the April 2005 Family Tree Magazine, you'll find 16 project ideas to help preserve your research for posterity. Check these Web sites for additional tips:

• Do It Yourself: Memory Crafts
  www.diynet.com/diy/cr_books_boxes_boards
• Family Heirloom Projects
  www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=7677
• Family History Projects and Crafts
  genealogy.about.com/library/blfhm-projects.htm
• The Family History Store.com
  www.thefamilyhistorystore.com
• Legacy Project
  www.legacyproject.org
• National Archives: Caring for Your Family Archives
  www.archives.gov/preservation/caring_for_your_family_archives.html
• The UnWritten: Saving Your Photo Stories for the Future
  library.thinkquest.org/C001313