This guest blog post was written by Paul Wester, head of the Modern Records Programs at NARA. Portions of the genealogical community are under the impression that the 2010 Decennial Census forms will not be preserved by the NARA. This impression is mistaken. NARA has not officially received and registered a proposed records retention schedule … Continue reading NARA and the 2010 Census
Category: Miscellaneous
Question: Which U.S. decennial census is your favorite and why?
On April 2, 2012, the Federal Census Bureau will be releasing the 1940 Census for public access. For many genealogists and researchers, the release of this census will open new insights into pre-war America, as well as provide opportunities for genealogists and family historians to continue their research into this most recent decade. Like all … Continue reading Question: Which U.S. decennial census is your favorite and why?
Family Tree Friday: Nonpopulation Census Records – Mortality Schedules
Most genealogists are familiar with the federal population census records and begin their research with these records. But did you know that the Census Bureau also took a series of Nonpopulation Census records between 1850 and 1880? They included mortality, agricultural, industrial, social statistics and defective, dependent, and delinquent schedules. These censuses cover the 12 … Continue reading Family Tree Friday: Nonpopulation Census Records – Mortality Schedules
Question: What are some good examples of interactive historical timelines on the Web?
The internet provides lots of great tools and services to help genealogists and historians understand the evolution of relationships and events over time. From teachers to big corporations, researchers at all levels can benefit from these innovative new tools, one of the most effective of which is the interactive map or timeline. One example of … Continue reading Question: What are some good examples of interactive historical timelines on the Web?
Family Tree Friday: More Info on Compiled Military Service Records.
In my previous blog I mentioned compiled military service records for volunteer soldiers. While CMSRs are generally recognized as the official record of a volunteer's military career, did you know they were NOT created at the time the soldier served? The War Department first created compiled service records in the early 1890s to help verify military … Continue reading Family Tree Friday: More Info on Compiled Military Service Records.
Tech Tuesdays
Thanks to your great feedback on our recent Family Tree Fridays and NARA Staff Favorite posts, we're considering introducing another specialized series here on NARAtions. This new set of posts, called Tech Tuesdays, would allow us to start a discussion about the cutting-edge technologies that are being developed across the archives field (a topic we're … Continue reading Tech Tuesdays
Question: How should NARA use Twitter?
Cultural organizations sometimes get a bad rap for adopting “technology for technology’s sake.” This tends to happen when observers feel that the excitement and widespread appeal of a new product has eclipsed its actual usefulness within the scope of the organization’s existing mission and strategic plan. On the other hand, with the proper research, planning … Continue reading Question: How should NARA use Twitter?
NARA Staff Favorites- Online Records
We’ve loved reading your suggestions and comments about sharing NARA’s holdings on Flickr, and it’s been interesting to see which images people are marking as favorites. All of this got us wondering about which records NARA insiders are particularly fond of, so we asked a few of our experienced colleagues for their picks. This week’s … Continue reading NARA Staff Favorites- Online Records
Family History Friday: The real scoop about name changes in immigration records.
Have you ever had an immigrant ancestor whose name appeared to change after they came to America? It was a very common occurrence, but the popular perception is that U.S. immigration officials deliberately changed a person's name if they couldn't understand the verbal information relayed to them by the immigrant. In fact, this is one … Continue reading Family History Friday: The real scoop about name changes in immigration records.
Question: What’s the biggest dead-end you ever hit in your research where you suddenly, unexpectedly found a way forward?
It happens to all of us. You follow one lead after another, following a thread of information that seems to link your months, or even years, of research together. Then, suddenly, the thread is gone. What do you do then? For many, this is a dead-end; all that time spent working on a topic has … Continue reading Question: What’s the biggest dead-end you ever hit in your research where you suddenly, unexpectedly found a way forward?