INTERESTED IN HELPING BRING MORE RECORDS TO THE NET?

Indexing Newsletter

Special Edition: Arbitration Secrets Revealed In this edition of the FamilySearch indexing newsletter we discuss arbitration in detail, aiming to clarify misperceptions, debunk myths, and ask for help from both indexers and arbitrators. Just follow the links below. Languages Deutsch Italiano Español Русский Français Português 日本語 Polski Nederlands Svenska Now is Not the Time to Get Cold Feet about Arbitration Over 3 million images are waiting to be published Read the Full Story Learning to Like the Referee Why arbitrators are necessary and deserve our respect Read the Full Story "Pay No Attention to that Man Behind the Curtain" Revealing the truth about arbitrators Read the Full Story Ten Commandments for Arbitrators We're doing great, but we can always do better Read the Full Story Arbitration Results Ruining Your Day? What they mean and how you can help Read the Full Story What "Final" Really Means Is arbitration really data's last chance? Read the Full Story FAQs Answers to the most common questions about arbitration Read the Full Story

TENNESSEE VALLEY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

Our Spring Seminar will be Saturday May 5, 2012. For details click on the seminar page. Link below

1. Please see the Events page for the change in meeting schedules. Beginning January 2012 meetings will be held quarterly rather than the previous schedule. The first meeting in 2012 will be January 26.

2. We have added several books to our inventory of books for sale. We now have the Land Record Books of Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Marshall, Morgan and Madison counties, all by Margaret Matthews Cowart. We also have Cemeteries of Madison County by Dorothy Scott Johnson and most recently, Marriage Records of Lauderdale County, Mississippi 1839-1864, by Jeanne Hand Henry

3. We have programs lined up for all four of our Quarterly meetings. Go to the Events page for details.  Link below

Link to Tennessee Valley Genealogical Society: Click HERE

HOW YOU CAN HELP THE 1940 CENSUS BE SEARCHABLE

It’s finally here!

After 72 years, the 1940 US census has been released by the National Archives and Records Administration. FamilySearch is working feverishly to get the indexing projects ready. Everything is going according to plan at this point.

You can watch the list of current projects on the FamilySearch indexing website to see which states are available to index at any given time. The 1940 US Census Community Project Facebook page will also post updates as to when states are ready to be indexed.

Maintaining the Indexing System

We significantly improved the indexing system to better accommodate a huge increase in volunteers for the 1940 US census. If the system starts to run slowly, some projects (other than the census) might be removed temporarily. Once the system is stable again, we'll start returning these projects.

As per our earlier message, we strongly encourage you to consider the following guidelines to ensure the system is able to handle the load and everyone gets the opportunity to start indexing the 1940 US Census in a timely fashion.

• Take your time getting started.
• Avoid peak usage times (Saturday evening through Monday evening).
• Only download as much work as you think you’ll do in an hour or two.
• Work offline.

Browse the Images Now

While waiting for the indexing project for your favorite state, you can browse the free images now on Archives, FindMyPast, FamilySearch, or the National Archives site at 1940census.archives.gov.

Thank you for your cooperation and patience. We look forward to great progress in the coming weeks.

The FamilySearch Indexing Team

1940 CENSUS RELEASED TODAY

THE 1940 CENSUS IMAGES ARE NOW RELEASED! On April 2, 2012,NARA released the digital images of the 1940 Unites States Federal Census after a 72 year embargo. These census images will be uploaded and made available on Archives.com,FindMyPast.com, and FamilySearch.org.

RICH AND UNIQUE INFORMATION

The 1940 census included several standard questions, such as: name, age, gender, race, education, and place of birth. But the census also introduced some new questions. One example is that the enumerator was instructed to mark (with a circled x) who in the household responded to the census questions. Other questions included whether the person worked for the CCC, WPA, or NYA the week of March 24-30, 1940, and the income for the 12 months ending December 31, 1939.

New, interesting questions were asked:

• Where people lived 5 years before
• Highest educational grade achieved
• Detailed income and occupation

Read detailed enumerator instructions

As part of the census, 5% of respondents (two names per page) were asked supplemental questions, which included the place of birth of the person’s father and mother, the respondent’s usual occupation (not just for the week of March 24-30), and questions related to marriage for all women who were or had been married. The enumerators asked women if they had been married more than once, the age at first marriage, and the total number of children to whom they had ever given birth.

FAMILY HISTORY CENTER CLOSED APRIL 5

Sorry,  I know that you are excited about the 1940 U.S. Census but our Thursday consultants are out of town.  The Census comes out April 2 so make plans to visit the center either this Tuesday from 10 - 4 pm or this Wednesday 6:30 - 8:30 pm.

400+ MILLION FAMILY TREE RECORDS

Family Tree Records may include:

Name & Alias Death & Burial Dates Military Service Photos

Births & Christenings Marraiges & Divorces Occupation Relatives

And so much more!

Now is the time to use WorldVitalRecords in your
family history search. Find your ancestors in our
new 400+ million Family Tree Records

You can subscribe to this site but you can also use it for free at the Athens Family History Center.  

1940 U.S. CENSUS RESOURCES

Resource Roundup for the 1940 U.S. Census

FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012

The present decade has a lot in common with 1940 especially when it comes to the Can Do Volunteer Spirit that is creating a stir of activity around April 2nd release of the U.S. Census. If everyone who has benefited from an indexed census report joins the volunteer corps to help index and promote this newest genealogical asset, the 1940 U.S. Census will be name-searchable in a matter of weeks.

Online training and information is available 24-hours a day. Here's a round-up of the latest 1940 U.S. Census Resources:

Information

Official 1940 U.S. Census Project Website and Blog information and Indexing

National Archives Official Website for Information on the 1940 Census and access to the digital images.

National Archives free regional lecture schedule on the 1940 Census.

US Census Bureau training films for 1940 Census enumerators.

Using the 1940 U.S. Census

How to Prepare for the 1940 U.S. Census by Thomas MacEntee at Archives.com, a comprehensive overview of the census release and how to effectively search for your ancestors.

Stephen P. Morse's comprehensive 1940 Search Engine. It's a lot easier than 9 to 5 with The Three Stooges.

"Navigating the 1940 US Census" webinar from Legacy Family Tree presented by Thomas MacEntee, free until March 19, 2012.

Online Census Secrets presented by Allison Dolan, Family Tree Magazine Publisher will feature where to find free census records and what to expect when the 1940 census is released.

Nightly 1940 U.S. Census Webinar hosted by RootsMagic and Dear Myrtle April 2-6 to discuss first experiences in using the newly released records.

Help Index the 1940 U.S. Census

1940 U.S. Census Community Project website with links and helps for volunteers ready to index the census.

Practice Indexing the 1940 U.S. Census "with simulated material provided by FamilySearch. The Getting Started guide provides comprehensive instructions for downloading the indexing software.

ATHENS FAMILY HISTORY CENTER ADDS SHIFT

The Athens Family History Center located on West Market has added another shift to help you with your genealogy.  In addition to the Tuesday and Wednesday hours of operation, a Thursday shift will be available from 5 pm - 8 pm.