The wait is over!
After a mandatory 72-year hold, the 1950 census has been released to the public. This is a great opportunity for the novice to get started with family history, or for the seasoned historian to gain access to all kinds of new information. To guide us through this exciting new source, genealogist Laura Kovarik will present “Everything Old is New Again: Introducing the 1950 U.S. Census” at the Aurora Public Library District (APLD) Saturday, May 21 at 2 p.m.
The 1950 census was released April 1. It contains 6.57 million population schedules, 33,360 Indian Reservation schedules, 9,634 enumeration district (ED) maps images, and 234,447 enumeration district descriptions. It’s an overwhelming amount of information, and it can be difficult to know where to start. For example, what’s an enumeration district and how can I find my ancestor’s ED? The Library has the answers you need to get started.
Laura Kovarik has been involved in genealogy for more than 25 years, including leadership and educational positions at the community and state levels. Kovarik is the former president of the Illinois State Genealogical Society (ISGS) and is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the National Genealogical Society, ISGS, and other community genealogical and historical societies. Her writing has appeared in Fox Tales and The Quarterly, the ISGS magazine.
In this presentation, we will review how information was gathered and processed for the census. Attendees will learn what record sets were produced, which sets are available, and how to gain access to them. Finally, Kovarik will share her professional insight into what steps you can take before diving into these newly-released census records so that you can search with confidence.
This program will be held both in-person at the Santori Library in Room 126 and virtually through Zoom. Registration is required at www.aurorapubliclibrary.org/event/6272869. Register on the Library’s event page to save your seat at the in-person event, or to receive your exclusive Zoom link!
We hope that this program fosters some curiosity to dive a bit further into your history. As family historians well know, you start with a lot of questions, and those answers often lead to more questions. It’s chasing those hard-to-find nuggets of information that makes genealogy so fun. Luckily, the Library provides monthly Genealogy Walk-In Assistance. If you’re hooked by the 1950 census, you can continue to get one-on-one support from the Library’s expert volunteers, Diane and Maxine Liesinger. They are available the second full week of the month at each of the three Library locations. Upcoming dates include Monday, June 13, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Santori Library; Tuesday, June 14, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at West Branch; and Thursday, June 16, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Eola Road Branch.
APLD provides free access to Ancestry Library Edition (in-library only) and HeritageHub. If your ancestors are specific to the greater Aurora area, be sure to visit the Wegman Local History Room at Santori Library for access to historic city directories, yearbooks, newspapers, and more items!