Exactly Two Years from Today the 1940 Census is to be Released

Two years from today – April 2, 2012 – the National Archives will release the 1940 census to the public. According to the National Archives website: http://www.archives.gov/genealogy/census/1940/general-info.html , the plan is that the census will be digitized and available at the Archives and online on that day. Note that April 1 will be a Sunday, so the 1940 Census won’t be available until the following day. I don’t see anything about indexes…

I don’t know whether Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest, Footnote, FamilySearch and others will be able to enter into agreements with the Archives for digitization and/or indexing before the legal release date. Commercial digitization and indexing of the 1930 census began upon delivery of the microfilm – following the April 1 release date in 2002.

Thanks to Joel Weintraub for bringing me up-to-date on the info. at the National Archives site.

About Leland Meitzler

Leland K. Meitzler founded Heritage Quest in 1985, and has worked as Managing Editor of both Heritage Quest Magazine and The Genealogical Helper. He currently operates Family Roots Publishing Company (www.FamilyRootsPublishing.com), writes daily at GenealogyBlog.com, writes the weekly Genealogy Newsline, conducts the annual Salt Lake Christmas Tour to the Family History Library, and speaks nationally, having given over 2000 lectures since 1983.

2 Replies to “Exactly Two Years from Today the 1940 Census is to be Released”

  1. I have tried to find the name of a H.E. Smith in the OREGON State Hospital for 1930. She was born in Canada of Irish parents.
    Have been unable to find her, yet it is reported in the family she was sent there about 1921. She spent her entire life a ward of the state.
    Please Help.

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