Heavy breathing on the line: The ghost of databases past

This is in reply to our offer to transfer periodically to the National Archives and Records Service the original schedules of each decennial population census when these are no longer needed for active statistical use, the negative microfilm of those population census schedules for which the Bureau of the Census possesses adequate positive microfilm copies, and the positive microfilm copies of those population census schedules which the Bureau of the Census no longer desires to retain for reference use.

In view of the established policy of the National Archives and Records Service to relieve agencies of records accumulations no longer needed for current use, and to preserve those records deemed to be of permanent value, I am, in principle, in agreement with the transfer policy stated in your letter of August 26, 1952.

I am also in agreement with the conditions you state with respect to the use and maintenance of these records

1. that the master set of negative microfilm to be transferred shall be preserved as the permanent records of the decennial population census schedules, and that the master negatives and the positive microfilm copies shall not be kept in the same city;
2. that the National Archives and Records Service will furnish the Bureau of the Census with positive prints of the negative microfilm whenever requested, and that the charge for such service shall not exceed the cost of the positive film and its development plus an overhead of not more than ten percent, provided, however, that the production of the initial set of positive microfilm copies of a decennial population census shall be the responsibility of the Bureau of the Census; and
3. that after “seventy-two years from the enumeration date of a decennial census, the National Archives and Records Service may disclose information contained in these records for use in legitimate historical, genealogical or other worth-while research.”

With respect to the foregoing restrictions on disclosure of information it is understood that the applicable conditions of legitimacy will be those now in force:

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