Due to federal privacy laws, no federal records within a seventy-two year period are open to the public. Thus, the 1920 census is the most recent federal census available to researchers. One of the rules of sound genealogical research is to start with yourself and work backward in time, moving from the known to the unknown. If we apply this rule to census research, then 1920 is where you should start. This should include names of family members, their respective ages, city and state where they resided in 1920, occupations, etc.
Residence is especially critical in locating census records.
At the library you could make a photocopy of any results, but the cost for this can quickly add up. We have found some libraries with the census microfilm but not the Soundex microfilm. A trip to such a library can be frustrating. The Soundex Armed with the necessary names and supplies, you are ready to begin using the 1920 census data. It is important to remember that this is a multiple step process and each step must be done in order.