Instructions to genealogical indexers or why can’t “they” spell my family surnames right? An indexer is a person who gleans information from a document and types the data on a website form or spreadsheet.
- Challenges for the genealogist:
- Strong desire to correct errors
- Strong desire to add information
- Strong desire to be 100% accurate
- Strong desire to complete the task
- Strong desire to take on more work
The genealogist must type the information as written on the document. In this article example, the surname for Justus has been spelled MARTINSEN and MORTENSON on the same page. Both spellings must appear in the index. Occasionally a given name is omitted. If the name appears on another page, it is very tempting to fill in the name. Do not add or delete any information.
Volunteer indexers are needed for many projects. The indexing of the 1940 U.S. population census was completed in less than six months by volunteers. For volunteer projects contact an area society or Family Search. The example for this article is from the Lockport Area Genealogical & Historical Society, Lockport, Illinois. The digital images were filmed by volunteers. The indexing is being done by volunteers. All of the digital images are available free at The Lockport Area Genealogical & Historical Society website.
Digital images on the LAGHS website include Lockport, Illinois:
- church records
- cemetery records
- tax books
- county atlas
- city minutes & ledger
- Texaco Oil Refinery
- Photographs, band & yearbook
- Dorothy Woebbeking Works WWII Collection
- township records
Write me about your indexing experiences, Selma Blackmon.
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