Using the Census to Find Your History

Today CNN posted a heartwarming story telling how a granddaughter helped her grandmother find a long-lost brother by searching Census data on Ancestry.com and other genealogical web sites. What the census can teach us about ourselves Basic population statistics are released soon after each census is tabulated. However, for privacy protection, documents with names and personal details of respondents aren’t released for 72 years. The latest information available was gathered in 1930. Nebraskans can search historical Census forms using HeritageQuest Online, a database purchasedby the Library Commission with funds provided by the Nebraska Legislature. To logon go to NebraskAccess. Click on the blue LOGIN button on the right. Passwords issued to Nebraska libraries and media centers can be used, or a Nebraska driver’s license number.