The American Census Handbook [Hardcover]

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
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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. REVWR
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

The American Census Handbook contains the most complete listing of published census indexes ever compiled.... -- William Dollarhide, Editor, Genealogy Bulletin

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.

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.