Not all Libraries share this access to Heritage Quest. The way it is
word on the OHGenWeb site makes it sound like any library card will
work. Later we are told to get one from the COlumbus library but
perhaps it should be mentioned first. I have access through the
Cleveland Library system but I know many smaller county and city
libraries don't have the money to support a computer system that can act
as a gateway to Heritage Quest. That said, it is worth a drive to a city
where they do have it and get a library card.
I have never heard of any library emailing you a library card number.
When I called Cleveland Library I was told I actually had to go to a
branch and apply. You might want to double check that Columbus Library
will do this. It seems to good to be true. I wish Heritage Quest would
allow us to put the images on our county sites but if this is really as
easy to get as an email, then why bother. Also Heritage quest has images
for all census years not just the ones mentioned. They only have indexes
for a select number of census but they have all images even the 1930
census. This should be updated on the OHGEnWeb page. The exception are
the years where many census pages were destroyed by fire like 1790 and
1800 Virginia census records. Heritage Quest is working on adding more
indexes but the ones available now are 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1860,
1870, 1900, 1910, and 1920.
While we are on the subject of Heritage Quest (HQ) census images, It
might be a service to your county's researchers to offer some help on
the 1930 census, in particular a way of using the
Ancestry.com 1930
index to find images on HQ since they do not have an index for 1930. I
have created, at least for my own county, a conversion table for the
Ancestry.com 1930 index. Not everyone has access to Ancestry.com's
census images but anyone can use the index and this makes it possible to
quickly find the images on HQ.
It takes a little work to create the conversion table, a lot of work if
you have a one of the larger metropolitan cities in your county, but if
anyone wants to check out my conversion table you can find it here:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ohmuskin/census1930.html
I also have one for the 1920 index but a few months after I did it,
Ancestry.com removed the index from their free offerings but HQ added
their own 1920 index so I would concentrate on the 1930 index. If anyone
wants a detailed explanation of how I created this, let me know. Anyone
is free to copy any part of the text, especially directions on how to
obtain the image's information from the
Ancestry.com index results.
Denny Shirer - drdx(a)neo.rr.com - Canton, OH
Muskingum County, OHGenWeb -
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ohmuskin/
David W. Koester wrote:
Mentioned on the OhGenWeb page:
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Free Online Census Images for Ohio Residents
Heritage Quest Online Census images is free online for Ohio residents
who possess a library card.
Searching for your ancestors has never been easier! Free Online to Ohio
residents: If you live in Ohio you can research the actual census record
images for 1820, 1860, 1870, 1900, 1910, 1920 by registering for a
free library card number with the Columbus Metropolitan Library, they
send you a ten digit number by email quickly and you can access right
away, then go to the electronic resources page and click on Heritage
Quest, put in this ten digit number and then click on online census
records. These are all easily searchable and indexed. These are the
best scanned census pages I have ever seen and you can read and save the
entire page to your computer. I highly recommend this website. Happy
hunting! Get your free card by applying online: Columbus Library
Discovery Card
Then use your 10 digit number to access the census online through the
Columbus Library electronic resources page:
Heritage Quest Online
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Note:
I believe you will find that most libraries offer Heritage Quest online
across the country, and it is not limited to residents of any one state.
Census records online start with the 1790 Census and include all states
in existance at the time of the Census (excluding records that were
destroyed or lost). It is a GREAT resource and FREE. Your library must
sponsor it and you'll need your library card to log on. I've used it
here in Illinois, and on research trips throughout the east.