Available:*
Material Type | Library | Call Number | Suggested Age | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reference Material | Searching... Barboursville Public Library | 016.929 K | Adult | Searching... Unknown |
| Reference Material | Searching... Cabell County Public Library | 016.929 K | Adult | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
The census is, without a doubt, the most used resource for genealogists. Thus, researchers must sift through thousands of pages of these records looking for individuals arranged by the random routes taken by census enumerators. While the federal government made several efforts to index these census records, most were not indexed. Until now, there has been no guide to all census indexes.
Tom Kemp's new book, The American Census Handbook, is the first general guide to the thousands of published census indexes currently available in print and online and is sure to be used by beginning and experienced genealogists alike. This essential reference lets researchers quickly see what is available for their area of interest and lets them know what records, indexes, and abstracts are available on microfilm, on CD-ROM, on the web, or published as books or articles.
Arranged chronologically by year, geographically, and by general topics (this section includes indexes that focus on ethnic groups as well as indexes to current and former military personnel and their families), The American Census Handbook includes information on federal, state, county and town census records. This one-stop source for census research is an essential purchase for all genealogists who want to save time and effort as they search for valuable information about their ancestors.
Thomas Kemp, a well-known librarian and genealogist, is the chair of the Genealogy Committee of the American Library Association and serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Genealogical Societies. He is also the author of the best-selling Virtual Roots: A Guide to Genealogy and Local History on the World Wide Web and The Genealogist's Virtual Library: Full-Text Books on the World Wide Web as well as many other books.
Author Notes
Thomas Jay Kemp is the chair of the Genealogy Committee of the American Library Association and serves as a member on the board of directors of the Federation of Genealogical Societies.
Reviews (3)
Booklist Review
Designed for genealogists, this volume is a state-by-state guide to published census indexes in print and online. Arrangement within each state section is chronological.
Choice Review
The US census, conducted every ten years since 1790, is used heavily by genealogical researchers. The Census Bureau has released on microfilm the complete schedules that include for 1790-1920 names, place of residence, and in later years occupation and schooling. This handbook, a guide to the indexes of names that indicate where information is located on each microfilm reel, is arranged geographically by state, then by county. General topical indexes help find people by ethnic groups, military service, or immigration. The handbook lists authors and titles of the name indexes, date, and place of publication. Some indexes, particularly for larger states, are online; ftp site or URLs are given. Several Web sites have genealogical indexes and schedules, although most are fee-based. One free site, The USGenWeb Project , is staffed by volunteers who transcribe the census schedules for all states. The Web sites are incomplete, while Kemp's handbook contains all the known published ind exes. Although not essential, this handbook would be useful for libraries where scholars or general readers are engaged in serious genealogical research. R. Wondriska Trinity College (CT)
Library Journal Review
Though the U.S. federal population census is an essential source for family history research, searching the microfilmed handwritten schedules can be very time consuming and tedious. Census indexes, therefore, are very valuable, significant, and timesaving research aids. Noted author, genealogist, and chair of the Genealogy Committee of the American Library Association, Kemp has pulled together a wealth of information to help readers identify published indexes currently available for federal and other censuses up to and including the 1920 federal population census. Print, CD-ROM, and online titles are included, but indexes published in journals are not. The text is arranged in three sections: by year, general subjects, and geography. The year listings include general U.S. and regional indexes, while the general subjects section includes items concerning ethnic groups and military personnel and their families. The most extensive portion of the book is the geographical section, in which the author identifies numerous statewide and county indexes for each state. This section greatly expands the countywide index listings in William Dollarhide's The Census Book (Heritage Quest, 1999), which includes only those indexes at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City prior to 1986. Kemp has produced a most useful and extensive guide for researchers and librarians. Recommended for public and academic libraries and specialized collections of genealogy and local history.DDiane Sharp, Indiana State Lib., Indianapolis (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
