The U.S. Decennial Census of Population and Housing from an Archival Perspective

1. The U.S. Decennial Census of Population and Housing from an Archival Perspective Thomas E. Brown U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

2. Archival values • Evidential value • “evidence of the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations, or other activities of the Government” • Informational value • “because of the informational value of the data contained therein”

3. 1942: Schedules for 1790-1870 • Background: • 1790-1870 publicly available • Census Bureau moving to a new building • Microfilming completed • Appraisal: established value to historians, sociologists, economists, genealogists, and general public.

4. 1952: Appraisal of Microfilm • Background: • NARS microfilming 1950 Census schedules • Volume of paper schedules growing • Statutory restrictions expires after 50 years • Appraisal: • Microfilm in place of paper • Loss of information on microfilm • Issue: Transfer date because restrictions

5. Restriction Question • Statutory restrictions expire after 50 years unless the Archivist extends • Archivist offer to extend Census restriction before Congress • Why 72 years? • Longest extension that would open the 1880 Census immediately

6. Congressional Approval of 72-Year Rule • FOSDIC eliminated post-Census microfilming • 1890 Census in 1962: non-issue • 1900 Census in 1972 • Census objected • Attorney General backed NARS • Congress backed NARS • 1980 Census forms • Statistical Confidentiality Act of 2002

7. 1979: Appraisal of Data Files • Census microdata files • Appraisal: “overall informational value is formidable” • Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS) & Summary Tape Files (STFs) • Appraisal: “conveniently prepared according to geographic characteristics which . . . enhances the informational value”

8. 2000: Appraisal of ICRF and Images • Replacement of FOSDIC • Digital images • Individual Census Record File • Standard data file in ASCII • First time names in digital Census files • Basic records of the Census • Destroy paper and scanned images

9. Opposition to Disposal of Images • Congressman Waxman • Historical series 1790-1990 • Marginalia • Inaccurate scanning • Images removed from records schedule • ICRF: “very significant secondary value for future genealogical, historical, statistical, economic and demographic research”

10. Resubmission of Images for Appraisal • On the Census 2000 Comprehensive Records Schedule • Public Comments • Two Congressmen • Five social scientists • Six genealogists • Echoed Congressman Waxman

11. NARA Appraisal of Images • ICRF: Basic records from Census 2000 • Practical considerations • 700 million page images • increase Archives holdings by 17.5% • 430 million pages images blank • estimated 60 terabytes ($5.3-$10.5 million annually) • revised estimate: 160 terabytes

12. Resolution • Withdrew images from the comprehensive records schedule • Reauthorization of NHPRC • Third records schedule: images permanent

13. Denouement • NARA lacked capability to preserve images • Solution: Computer Output Microfilm (COM) • New schedule: images temporary, COM permanent • In 2072, NARA will digitized microfilm if desired

14. Conclusion • Most cost effective contemporary formats • 1942: Paper • 1952: Microfilm • 1979: Magnetic computer tapes • Inconsistent standards • 1952: Accepted data loss • 2000: Any data loss unacceptable