On April 2, the National Archives and Records Administration
releases the long awaited 1940 census. Due to the personal information on the
census schedules, federal law requires that they be locked from public view for
72 years. The census is a key resource
for family historians and often provides clues to other records. The 1940
census marks the first time census records will be offered free online.
In addition to information about all members of the household
including age, sex, ethnicity, citizenship status and occupation, the 1940
census provides important information not offered on previous census schedules:
•Street
address
•Persons absent from household
•Person providing information
•More detailed employment data, including income and public
relief
•Residence in 1935
The 1940 census comes with a giant caveat. Initially, it will not contain a surname
index. All searches will require a
geographic approach by street address or enumeration district. The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton
County, one of the few libraries in the nation that owns copies of all
available U.S. census records dating back to 1790 and a nationally ranked
genealogy department, is ready to assist.
The Genealogy and Local History Department has acquired 1940 directories
for over 3,000 U.S. cities, large and small, to assist with the search for
street addresses. The librarians have
undergone special 1940 census training and have developed tools to assist with
the online search, including specialized maps and expertise with websites to
identify enumeration districts. As an added bonus, the Library will place
orders for 1940 census records on April 2 for 1940 Ohio census records on
microfilm, courtesy of the Friends of the Public Library and the Library
Foundation. These records will provide
important archival backup and are easier to browse than loading individual
pages on many websites.
Presentation, April 7
Five
days after the release on April 7, the Genealogy and Local History Department
kicks off the census with a special program by Department Manager Patricia Van
Skaik, 1940 Census Is
Here: Techniques for Achieving Top Search Results. This program will
provide strategies for
accessing the wealth of new information available in the 1940 census.
Cincinnatians will have the opportunity to attend this program one week in
advance of its presentation in Cleveland at the Ohio Genealogical Society
Conference.
About the presenter:
Patricia Van Skaik is an expert
in census research. Out of town librarians
have come to Cincinnati to consult with her on 1940 census preparedness. Ms.
Van Skaik also conferred with database providers in February for information
about how online access to the 1940 census would function. Ms. Van Skaik is a
recipient of the RootsTech Distinguished Speaker Award and lectures widely on
the intersection of history, technology and librarianship.
1940 Census Online Providers
National Archives and Records
Administration, http://www.archives.gov/research/census/1940/
Ancestry.com
Archives.com
FamilySearch.org
Find My Past
Volunteer to Help Create a
Surname Index
For more information and Countdowns
Video on the 1940 census:
Go to the National Archives
website, http://www.archives.gov/research/census/1940/ or follow on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/archivesnews
or Facebook http://www.facebook.com/usnationalarchives
Watch Twitter @cincylibrary or contact the
Genealogy and Local History Department at 513-369-6905 or “Ask a Librarian”
through the Library’s website, www.cincinnatilibrary.org.
From Press Release - submitted by Liz Stratton
Hello, I was wondering if I could get the records of one person that was at the institution in 1935-1940, maybe even longer. She is my grandmother and I've been looking for her grave a very long time. I came across this information with her name on it. Please let me know asap, thank you, Jeanette
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