BGI Reference Desk

Notes on Eurostat for Amy

content includes publications, tables

v. slow to load in all browsers

From "First Visit": Our website is updated daily and provides: Direct access to the latest and most complete statistical information available on the European Union, the EU Member States, the euro-zone and other countries

Since 1st October 2004 Eurostat provides free of charge access to all its databases and electronic publications.

About Eurostat is about the org. not the site; site contents from left-hand menu;

"Our data are further categorised under various Collections, each of which represents a certain type of data or a way of presenting them. For more information on our collections, see Publications. "

"Online: you have direct access to
- all Eurostat publications in PDF format,
- the latest key indicators on EU policy presented as predefined tables: Euro-indicators, a set of Structural indicators used to underpin the Commission's analysis in the 2004 Spring report to the European Council and a selection of main long term indicators,
- the complete Eurostat databases presented along the 9 themes and including detailed external trade data (CN8)."

"Detailed tables - Intended for specialists, they present part, or all, of the statistical data compiled on a theme, sub-theme or sector. " Incl. historical stats; at least from 1958...

"As introduced in the content section, all publications and data in our website are available by browsing either by Theme and/or by Collection. You can do so by using the navigation bar menu on each page top."

"The search function is only available for publications for the moment."

"As a registered user of our website, you can:
Access enhanced functionalities of the databases (Save seach, bulkdownload)."

"All Eurostat data is available free of charge and can be explored via the tree below.
Former NewCronos and Commission users can access a version with enhanced functionalities (EVA Java, HTML, file in tsv format), by using their usual login and password."

Listed Products:
Publications - pdf only
Database - describes differences b/t indicators and other dbases
Data - The statistical data that are available free of charge via our website.
Catalogues - pdf publication cats
Key indicators - self-explan
Full database - lists all dbases by theme, incl. key indicators; quite a date range - some exp/imp data from 1929!

kinda complex table creation, but some nice visuals; nice expl. of display/download choices

Tax form links on GPL

I've added links to the BusRef Tax forms page in the Quick Links of the GPL Home page and under "Special Topics". -- Amy

Am. FactFinder easy guide

The Census has produced a new brochure called "4 Easy Steps to Census 2000 Data on American FactFinder." It might be most useful if we print out (or otherwise obtain) some copies for people to have at hand. Take a look. Here is the direct URL:
http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/4easysteps.pdf

It is NOT easy to find this from the FactFinder page. It is on the Census Bureau's web, under Publications. Be sure to look at that now and then - lots of helpful stuff. Guides like this fall under "General and Reference" which has lots of useful stuff. Here is the path: Go to www.census.gov and look for Publications on the left side.

Julie

CorpTech Web Problem

The CorpTech web link is not working. I have called Jim S and called the company, since I think that is where the problem is. There is still a CDROM version for it on the BusRef workstations -- V

Adams class

John Adams' class on the economic health of cities is being offered again - GEOG 5372/PA 5202. The assignment is in the Assignments folder. The issue of Employment and Earnings which he is requiring (May 2002) is temporarily non-circulating, and is kept on the counter across from the current issues.

Julie

New Way to Post Entries

See if using the "Post an Entry" link on the right is an improvement on the current method of posting new entries.

Some caveats: you have to select the weblog for the post and, unless you want the url of the page you're on at the time to be in the message, delete the text that automatically appears in the entry body.

I've tried to customize the javascript that's running behind the screens, but so far I've had no luck. -- Amy

ALA MW Census Update

U.S. Census Bureau Update
American Library Association, Midwinter Meeting, January 2005
Andrea.Sevetson@census.gov 301-763-5207

Notes on Pop-up Blockers:
I've received a number of comments about new software being implemented at institutions with pop-up blockers. Pop-up blockers will block the update feature on AFF Maps and Geography links, and I've also been told that the pop-up blockers will interfere with downloading tables as anything other than html. Users may want to investigate either how to turn on and turnoff their pop-up blockers, or make sure your browsers accept pop-ups from AFF.

Census Product Update:
http://www.census.gov/mp/www/cpu.html
Census Bureau Contacts/Ask the Experts
http://www.census.gov/main/www/ask.html
News Releases To receive Census Bureau news releases, go to:
http://lists.census.gov/mailman/listinfo/public-news-alert
RSS Feed:
The Census Bureau syndicates some of the content on the Web Site through RSS feeds. Available feeds at Census.gov: New on the Site and Census Product Update

2002 Economic Census:
=====================
Home page:
http://www.census.gov/econ/census02/
Release Schedule:
http://www.census.gov/econ/census02/guide/g02sched.htm
Industry Reports:
http://www.census.gov/econ/census02/guide/industryseries.htm
NAICS:
http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/naics.html
Check http://www.census.gov/newonsite/ regularly for the new PDF reports

First Geographic Area Series Reports from 2002 Economic Census. The first Geographic Area Series reports from 2002 Econ Census are now available. Colorado was just released Mid-December. Each sector will have a set of state reports. Also up are:
EC02-53A-NM Real Estate and Rental and Leasing, New Mexico: 2002
EC02-53A-MT Real Estate and Rental and Leasing, Montana: 2002
EC02-53A-ME Real Estate and Rental and Leasing, Maine: 2002
2002 Economic Census slide presentations are available at:
http://www.census.gov/epcd/ec02/ec02slides.htm

State and County Quickfacts (available from the right side of the Census Bureau homepage) now has a link to cities. QuickFacts now includes data for cities and towns with more than 25,000 people.
(http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/)

American FactFinder (AFF):
==========================
Some changes occurred in early January. See the AFF Main page What's New for the Update. Or check the new Quick Guide ( http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/aff_r10_quickguide.pdf) for a 17-page update including all of the new features related to the American Community Survey.

ACS on AFF - In early January, the Census Bureau released even more data from the American Community Survey (ACS) through the American FactFinder (AFF) web-based data access tool. The ACS is an ongoing survey that becomes national in scope in 2005. ACS is the planned replacement for the census long form questionnaire in 2010. The ACS on a monthly basis collects the kinds of sample characteristics data (income, mortgage status, occupants per room, vehicles available, education, language spoken, etc.) that formerly have been collected in the long form questionnaire. Also in January, the AFF will include even more derived data sets based on the ACS such as ranking tables, profiles, multi-year tables, and public microdata. In the future, you also will be able to find annual data for areas as small as census tracts from the ACS. See What's New on AFF Main page for all of the details.

Tutorials:
click on HELP on the menu bar. In the pop-up box that opens, look for Tutorials. There are links to tutorials on American FactFinder Site Tour , Using FactFinder Search Features, Working with FactFinder Tables, Creating Custom Tables, Creating and Using Maps, and Working with Economic Data .

American Community Survey
=========================
Full Implementation to begin in January. The U.S. Census Bureau has announced it has received $146 million for ACS for FY 2005. The funding, approved by the U.S. Congress as part of a massive omnibus bill, allows the Census Bureau to conduct a short form-only census in 2010 and provide the nation with annual socio-economic information every year, rather than just once a decade.

The ACS will be mailed to a sample of households in all 3,233 U.S. counties and in Puerto Rico each month, beginning in late December. Implementation of the ACS in group quarters (e.g. college dormitories and prisons) will be delayed until 2006.

Toolkit. The ACS toolkit can be found at:
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/SBasics/congress_toolkit/toolkit.htm

Special Tabulation for Administration on Aging
==============================================
This tabulation, known as STP 9, was contracted for by the Administration on Aging and is similar to STP 14 from the 1990 census. Part A consists of 116 population tables and is already available on the AoA web site (www.aoa.gov) . Part B: Housing and Household Characteristics is tentatively scheduled for release at the end of the year. Data are provided in Excel spreadsheet formats. The Census Bureau will develop and sell the 9 CDs, representing AoA regions, or the combined DVD product. Data are available down to the census tract level.

Historical Income & Poverty Data
================================
Among the most eagerly awaited data from the Census Bureau are the income and poverty figures released each fall. The official figures are collected each March in the Current Population Survey. Income data from this source has been released each year in a P-60 Series report since 1947; poverty data since 1959. You can find historical data and the full range of P-60 reports on the Income and Poverty web pages (these pages are links from the home page under People.

We the People series
======================
These are being issued as part of the Census 2000 Special Reports series, so look at the bottom of: http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs.html#sr for reports as they appear. The first publications in the series are out: We the People: Asians in the United States (CENSR-17) ; We the People: Hispanics in the United States (CENSR-18) ; and We the People: Aging in the United States (CENSR-19). Also expected are: Arab, women/men and the older population, Black, Two or More Races, American Indian Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations are a part of this series.

109th Congressional District data was released Jan. 6.
Look on AFF under the Data Sets link from the main page, Decennial Census tab. Data from the Census 2000 Summary Files have been retabulated for the newly drawn 109th Congressional District boundaries. SF1 and SF3 data are available.

Interesting Reports & Updates
=============================
Designing P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data for the Year 2010 Census - The View From the States http://www.census.gov/rdo/www/view.pdf and the Redistricting Data Program Home page: http://www.census.gov/rdo/www/

Ability to Speak English by Language Spoken at Home (PHC-T-37)
http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/phc-t37.html

The Foreign-Born Population in the United States: 2004 -- National-level tabulations on this population group by characteristics such as citizenship status, age, year of entry, poverty status and world region of birth. (Tentatively scheduled for release the week of Jan. 2.)

Newly available as part of the scanning project:
-Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970
-1890 Decennial Census reports are beginning to come out
-Statistical Abstract - all of the volumes that we have scanned are up!

Promotions/Information Materials
================================
A new brochure, 4 Easy Steps to Accessing Census 2000 Data on the American FactFinder, was printed in Dec. We have copies at the booth. Several new Power Point presentations are available on the Public Use Presentation Library (http://www.census.gov/mso/www/pres_lib/index2.html). These include three presentations on the foreign-born population and one based on the Census 2000 Brief No. 31, Grandparents Living with Grandchildren: 2000.

UPDATE FROM ALA: I'll post URLs for 4 Easy Steps, and a new powerpoint slide presentation on the American Community Survey after the 1st of February.

Data Wheels - The SF 1 (blue) and the SF 3 (red) data wheels have been reprinted. Due to high external demand, they may now be purchased in bulk from the Customer Services Center at a cost of $1.50 each, plus shipping and handling.

2005 Training Dates:
====================
Understanding Federal Statistics (UFS) will be offered: March 7-10, 2005; June 13-16, 2005; September 12-15, 2005; December 5-8, 2005. For course content and registration information see:
http://www.census.gov/mso/www/training/index.htm

Customizing Recent Entry/Comments Lists

To show the most recent entries (or most recently modified) and/or recently commented upon entries, use this code on the index.html template:

<div class="sidetitle">Recent Entries</div>

<div class="side">

<MTEntries sort_by="modified_on" sort_order="descend" lastn="10">

<a href="<$MTEntryPermalink$>"><$MTEntryTitle$></a><br />

</MTEntries>

</div>

<div class="sidetitle">Recently Commented On</div>

<div class="side">

<MTEntries recently_commented_on="5">

<a href="<$MTEntryPermalink$>"><$MTEntryTitle$></a><br />

</MTEntries>

</div>

Help for Legal Research

The Law Librarians' Society of Washington, D.C. has a wealth of guides on legislative research. They may go into more detail than you need, but if there's a question that our guides don't help with, you should *definitely* check this site out.

I love the "Table of Congressional Publication Volumes and Presidential Issuances", which lines up years, Congresses, Statutes at Large volumes, Serial Set volumes, etc. Very, very, very useful. -- Amy

Modifications

Based on comments received, I've tried to simplify the blog look; shorter title for the whole thing, as well as for the columns on the right.

I also added links for Govdoc-L and UMich Documents Center; removed the links to the BRS, GPL and ULibs homepages b/c there's so many other ways to get to them.

I'm working on a way to create entries more simply.

Note: the Govdoc-L link only goes to the archive for the last year. HOWEVER, the full archive will be moved to the same location in the near future, so I'm not specifying the label as "Current Govdoc-L Archive".

Census Update

Around January 6th there will be a few changes changes to the American FactFinder (AFF) main page (factfinder.census.gov) and one to the Data Sets page.

1) Under "Fast Access to Information" (center column, top) there are currently text with links to "Fact Sheet," "People," "Housing," and "Business and Government."

THIS WILL CHANGE TO: "Get a Fact Sheet for your community" with a fill-in-the-box to allow users to input their city/town, county or ZIP code to customize the fact sheet.

YOU WILL STILL HAVE the links to "Fact Sheet" "People" "Housing" and "Business and Government" from the blue tabs along the left side of the Main Page. Only the section in the middle of the page will change.

2) One of the labels on the blue buttons (left column) will change. The fifth button that currently says "Census Overview" will change to the more accurate "About the Data." In an associated change, the section currently entitled "About the Data" (middle column near the bottom) will change to be called "Data in American FactFinder." None of the content associated with these links will change.

3) Search Function (left column, bottom) -- many of you may have become accustomed to using the search function from the left column, near the bottom. There is currently a search box for keyword, geography etc., which duplicates what you can access from "Search" (in the menu bar).

The search features in the left column, bottom, will change to a click-to "Address Search" so that users can enter their complete address. For the other Search functions, you'll need to use the menu bar.

4) and lastly... >From the Data Sets page (click on the "data sets" tab along the left column of the main page) -- there are currently five tabs (under the red square that reads "Select a Program"): Decennial Census, Decennial Supplementary Survey, American Community Survey, Economic Census and Surveys, and Population Estimates.

After the 6th there should be four tabs: Decennial Census, American Community Survey, Economic Census and Surveys, and Population Estimates.

The Decennial Supplementary Survey tab will be removed and the contents added to the American Community Survey information where it rightfully belongs.

While this looks like a lot (or at least it does when I re-read it!), the last change may be the one you'll notice the most if you're an ACS data user. The rest are more cosmetic.

-Andrea

Andrea Sevetson
U.S. Census Bureau
Marketing Services Office
301-763-5207
andrea.sevetson@census.gov

Deleting Entries

To delete a blog entry, login and from the menu page, select Manage Weblog:

From the management page, select Edit Entries unless the one you want is really recent. The Edit Entries page has a default display of 20 or so most recent entries. You can use the filters to see other entries or change the number displayed (at the bottom of the page).

Once you get to the entry, just click on Delete Entry. You'll be prompted to rebuild the site, so do so. Select the default, Rebuild All Files. It'll take a minute, but when it's done you can log out.