JGSLA has just received the following news of interest to our members:

We are excited to announce the launch of the JDC Archives website. This site, http://archives.jdc.org , is the culmination of a 5-year digitization effort of our text and photo collections, and brings to life the history of JDC, the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization.

Please see this New York Times article about the launch of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Archives website. It is accompanied by a slideshow with eight archival images and captions. Please see this press release for more information.

The vast digital collection contains searchable text collections from 1914-1932, a Names Index with over 500,000 names, a detailed interactive timeline, historically-themed exhibitions, over 45,000 photographs, findings aids, educational resources, relevant archives news and more.

Highlights include:

• A Family Researcher Section
• A Names Database of clients aided by JDC, searchable by Name, Location and Ship
• An inventory of the lists currently searchable in the Names Database, linking the user to the complete documents
• Video Tutorials to search text and photo collections

We are pleased to announce a new feature for the Names Database. It is now possible to search by location and ship in addition to name. To conduct an Advanced Search of the Names Database, scroll to “Names Search” under the text “Search Profile.” Here you can search by “All fields” (any field that has been indexed), “Ship Name,” “Location” and “Name.” The Location field searches any geographic field that has been indexed, such as City, Town, Destination and Country.

We would appreciate your help in further disseminating this resource to fellow genealogists.

Do we have a piece of your family’s history? Visit us today and find out!

All the best,

Linda G. Levi
Assistant Executive Vice President
Director of Global Archives American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
(212) 885 – 0806 (tel)
(212) 370 – 5467 (fax)
Linda.Levi@jdcny.org

P.S. Want to stay in touch?

• Sign up to hear about exciting JDC Archives news in the future
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JGSLA was fortunate to have Konstanty Gebert speak at our February 16th meeting on “Jews in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Polish Republics: Discontinuity and Reinvention”. Here is an audio recording of Gebert speaking earlier this month in San Francisco, introduced by Shana Penn. Enjoy!

The following letter is of utmost  importance for anyone who wants to access archives in New York City.  Please read this and then go to http://www.nycarchivists.org/doris_petition   and digitally “sign” the petition.
Roni Seibel Liebowitz President JGS, Inc. (NY)
At the behest of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, the New York City Council has proposed legislation that would eliminate the autonomy of New York City’s Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS), the agency that is responsible for the records and archival documents produced by past and present City governments. The proposed legislation (Int. 486-2011) would place the currently independent agency within the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS).
If passed, this legislation would significantly downgrade the authority of DORIS within City government and potentially put at risk its ability to preserve, protect and make accessible the intellectual legacy of one of the world’s greatest cities. A full position statement on the proposed legislation is available on the Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York’s website at http://www.nycarchivists.org.
Please add your name to the sign-on letter to oppose the proposed legislation, and advocate for the preservation of DORIS as an autonomous records agency, with the financial support and professional respect it deserves. The sign-on letter is located at http://www.nycarchivists.org/doris_petition. Every signature matters. Help New York City, as an international cultural and financial leader, and the place with the greatest variety and highest density of archives in the world, set the standard for how a democratic government preserves and makes accessible its documentary heritage.
Sincerely, The Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York, Inc.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                   

February 21, 2012

National Archives Announces Website for Free 1940 Census Release Online on April 2, 2012: 1940census.archives.gov

Tomorrow Starts the Countdown of ‘40 Days to the ’40 Census’

Washington, DC. . . Today the National Archives, with its partner Archives.com, launched its new website 1940census.archives.gov in preparation for its first-ever online U.S. census release, which will take place on April 2, 2012, at 9 a.m. (EST). The public is encouraged to bookmark the website now in order to more quickly access the 1940 census data when it goes live. No other website will host the 1940 census data on its April 2 release date.

The National Archives has teamed up with the U.S. Census Bureau to celebrate “40 Days to the ’40 Census.” Using social media channels to post videos, images, facts, and links to workshops nationwide, the National Archives is getting its researchers ready for the online launch on April 2. Be sure to follow us on Twitter (using hashtag #1940Census), Facebook, Tumblr, Flickr, YouTube, and subscribe to our blogs: NARAtions and Prologue: Pieces of History.

On April 2, 2012, users will be able to search, browse, and download the 1940 census schedules, free of charge, from their own computers or from the public computers at National Archives locations nationwide through the new 1940 census website: 1940census.archives.gov.

A National Archives 3:13 minute video short on its YouTube channel (http://tiny.cc/1940Census) and on 1940census.archives.gov provides a “behind-the-scenes” view of staff preparations and gives viewers tips on how to access the data once it is launched on April 2. This video is in the public domain and not subject to any copyright restrictions. The National Archives encourages the free distribution of it.

Background on the 1940 Census

While the original intent of the census was to determine how many representatives each state was entitled to send to the U.S. Congress, it has become a vital tool for Federal agencies in determining allocation of Federal funds and resources. The census is also a key research tool for sociologists, demographers, historians, political scientists and genealogists. Many of the questions on the 1940 census are the standard ones: name, age, gender, and race, education, and place of birth. But the 1940 census also asks many new questions, some reflecting concerns of the Great Depression. The instructions ask the enumerator to enter  a circled x after the name of the person furnishing the information about the family; whether the person worked for the CCC, WPA, or NYA the week of March 24–30, 1940; and income for the 12 months ending December 31, 1939. The 1940 census also has a supplemental schedule for two names on each page. The supplemental schedule asks the place of birth of the person’s father and mother; the person’s usual occupation, not just what they were doing the week of March 24–30, 1940; and for all women who are or have been married, has this woman been married more than once and age at first marriage.

For the release of the 1940 census online, the National Archives has digitized the entire census, creating more than 3.8 million digital images of census schedules, maps, and enumeration district descriptions.

About the National Archives

The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent Federal agency that preserves and shares with the public records that trace the story of our nation, government, and the American people. From the Declaration of Independence to accounts of ordinary Americans, the holdings of the National Archives directly touch the lives of millions of people. The National Archives is a public trust upon which our democracy depends, ensuring access to essential evidence that protects the rights of American citizens, documents the actions of the government, and reveals the evolving national experience.

About Archives.com

Archives.com is a family history website, owned and operated by Inflection a data commerce company headquartered in the heart of Silicon Valley. Inflection was chosen by the National Archives to host the 1940 census website. Learn more at www.archives.com/1940census.

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For press information, please contact the National Archives Public Affairs Staff at: 202-357-5300.

Connect with us on: Twitter: http://twitter.com/archivesnews Facebook: US National Archives

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