Dorothy Smith and Ellsworth Clark

Overwhelmed with the task of preserving and sharing their grandmother's letters, diaries, photos, and other personal documents for future generations, cousins Kimball Clark and Cathy Gilmore realized they needed a solution beyond digitizing. They envisioned a tool that empowered individuals, families, and organizations to be custodians of their own histories. With that vision in mind, they built Kindex: A digital archival tool that bridges the divide between institutional archives and privately-held collections. Kindex helps groups collaborate, transcribe, and share their collections. These tools have democratized the archival process for many families and organizations who would otherwise be unable to do so by making private collections discoverable, accessible, and searchable. With the power archives have to bridge generations, cross cultural boundaries, and diversify the historical record, Kindex became determined to help families and groups with end-to-end archival solutions.

With her family's biannual reunion several months away, reunion organizer Tonna Bounds used Kindex to hold an on-site digitization event in Delta, Utah--a "family scanning party". Weeks before the event, Kindex provided a "Call for Records" image to promote the event. When families arrived with records, Kindex created an inventory of owners and items to be scanned. Records were gathered from New York, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah. Soon all scanners were busy, and several family volunteers--including youth--jumped in to help. Family members now have access to more than 30 gigabytes of records they had never before seen. Tonna exclaimed, "How can I explain something that took place at our past reunion that was so futuristic in thought and action? People don't understand its potential--jaw dropping in thought! Aunt Zelda and Uncle Ivo's history was destroyed, but their lost histories can now be pieced together with even more force than could be imagined."

Among the many documents Dorothy Clark left behind was a handwritten list of attempts to be published. She sent articles to church magazines and the Reader's Digest--but not once was she published. As an amateur artist, Dorothy never had an art exhibit beyond the walls of her own home. Her handwritten letters--hundreds to family & friends--sat folded up in boxes for years. Her amazing life never made headlines. Her records are not held in any institutional archive. She was however a leader worth following--a mother worth remembering. She deserves an archive. What about your records? If family records are kept, they are often at risk of being lost, damaged, or forgotten. How will you ensure your records are preserved? Do your photos, journals, diaries, letters, and other precious family records deserve an archive? Do you deserve to be remembered? The answer is Yes. Kindex brings amazing archival tools to everyday families, making their records more accessible and relevant than ever.