1940 US Census Is Almost Here . . . Are You Ready?

from the FamilySearch.org ............ ATTENTION INDEXER!!                                                             Have you registered yet for Indexing the 1940 US Census? Please register (see groups below)
Otherwise get those fingers in condition because they will get a lot of great exerise in the coming months............ thank you!!

The release of the 1940 US Census is just days away! The excitement and enthusiasm for this project is far greater than anything we’ve seen in the six years that FamilySearch indexing has been available. We couldn’t be happier with the response, but we know this level of interest is going to challenge the capabilities of the indexing system.

There are some ways we can all help to reduce the system stress and keep everyone busily working to complete the census. Here are some ideas to consider:

1.    Take your time getting started. We’re all anxious, but there will still be plenty of work to go around after a few days. The first five states that will be available by Monday evening are:

o    Delaware

o    Virginia

o    Kansas

o    Oregon

o    Colorado

2.    Avoid peak usage times. Saturday evening through Monday evening is the busiest period. Try Wednesday or Thursday if you want the best chance of working online.

3.    Only download as much work as you think you’ll do in an hour or two. If you want to work offline, download two or three batches at a time, but not ten. 

4.    Work offline. If you start to see the system acting slowly, you may want to download a couple of batches and work offline.

5.    Review the training available now. Watch the How to Index the 1940 US Census  video. Review the tips and tricks slide presentation. Read the project instructions. All of these helps will get you prepared to index the census quickly and accurately.

Remember, it may take up to two weeks to make all of the states available for indexing. If your favorite state isn’t available yet, feel free to work on any other state, but only download what you think you’ll finish. This will help everyone have a chance to participate.

Are You Indexing as a Member of a Society or Group?

Lastly, we’ve noticed that some who signed up to participate in the 1940 US Census Community Project did not associate themselves with a society or group when they registered as an indexer. While there is no requirement for participants to be affiliated with a group, there are advantages to both you and the group if you are.  Root Cellar- Sacramento Genealogical Society has its own group with Administrator Sandra Benward. If you are indexing and you are a member of Root Cellar we would appreciate it if you would please go to your user account and associate yourself with Root Cellar.  There are lots of benefits and prizes for groups.

As a member of the group, you will be connected to other indexers who are working on similar records, who can provide support and answers to your questions. The group you belong to will also qualify for rewards based on how many records its indexers complete. To see a list of participating societies in your area, check our interactive maps .

Joining a group is easy, and can be done with a simple change to your user account at  indexing.familysearch.org. We have created a handout and training video to help you make the change.

For those of you who are already indexing as part of a group, feel free to stay where you are. You can only associate your account with one group, society, or stake.

For questions and support, please contact the 1940 US Census Community Project Team:

• Phone: 1-855-IDX-1940
• Email: 1940censusproject@familysearch.org 

Thanks again for your dedication to making genealogy records searchable. Together we’re making it possible for millions of people to find their ancestors!
Happy indexing!
The FamilySearch Indexing Team