For the 1950 release, NARA is offering a name index, created using artificial intelligence (AI) and optical handwriting recognition. This is a BIG advance on census usability for genealogists.
The National Archives has announced that 1950 Census website will have name and location search functions available when it goes live on April 1.
Users will also be able to search by Indian Reservation for Form P8 Indian Reservation Schedules.
To develop the initial name index, NARA is using "Amazon Web Services’ artificial intelligence / optical character recognition (AI/OCR) Textract tool to extract the handwritten names from the digitized 1950 Census population schedules."
"The National Archives developed a transcription tool to enable users to submit name updates [to the AI index]. This will allow other users to find specific names more easily, and it provides an opportunity for the public to help the agency share these records with the world.”
“The OCR being used to transcribe the handwritten names from the census rolls is about as good as the human eye,” said Project Management Director Rodney Payne. “Some of the pages are legible, and others are difficult to decipher."
Because the initial name index is built on optical character recognition (OCR) technology, it will contain errors. National Archives officials are providing genealogists with a transcription tool to update and correct this index.
If 1950 census name and location index created by artificial intelligence does not yield immediate results for you, try the One-Step site.
Stephen P. Morse is justifiably famous in the world of genealogy for his "One-Step" Webpages. Too often websites offering access to large groups of records have search pages that are difficult or confusing to use. Morse's pages provide easier search interfaces for a wide variety of databases important to genealogists.
FamilySearch is inviting online volunteers to help index the 1950 census. It is not entirely clear whether this indexing project differs from the one the National Archives is managing, as outlined above. I think, based on the past, they are separate. parallel efforts.
The FamilySearch press release notes, "The project is also receiving additional support from Ancestry.com and other organizations. Ancestry will use state-of-the-art handwriting recognition technology to scan the census images and make a functioning searchable index."
"Online volunteers on FamilySearch.org will then be able to find a surname or location of personal interest to them as a starting point to perform a comprehensive review of the computer-generated index to ensure it is accurate and complete."
For updates or to volunteer at FamilySearch on the 1950 census project, subscribe at FamilySearch.org/1950census.
Ancestry will be announcing their plans for indexing the 1950 census soon. They have a great summary of some of the things to expect when you use these records. Visit at this link.
Join fellow genealogists in person or online at home for Our American Mosiac, the National Genealogical Society Family History Conference from 24–28 May 2022. I'll be presenting twice this year and I hope to see you there.
Session W154: "Finding Females in US Naturalization and Citizenship Records," on Wednesday May 24.
Session S428: "Organize Like an Archivist: Taming Genealogy Records & Research," on Saturday May 28.
You can attend this conference:
• In-Person in Sacramento
• Online at Home, or
• On-Demand Stream (from 1 July thru 31 December 2022)
