CensusCD+Maps consists of one CD‐ROM loaded with an enormous amount of census data, conveniently made searchable, with the addition of mapping software and a report generator. The majority of its data derive from the 75+ STF3 CD‐ROMs produced by the US Government, with figures from the 1990 Census of Population and Housing. In addition to 1990 information, this CD contains historic census population information (1790‐1990), population estimates for 1997 and 2002, projected consumer expenditures, county time series data (1969‐1996), and more. In all, a total of more than 6,600 variables for population, housing, and the economy are available and searchable for 16 geographic levels ‐ from the entire USA and its regions down to the county, zip code, and block group.
Installation of the program is straightforward. Users have two choices:
- 1.
1a CD‐ROM‐only mode, which requires 1MB of space and continued use of the CD, or
- 2.
2the hard disk installation, which needs up to 4.5MB of space.
Naturally, for users with enough disk space, installing fully on the hard disk is preferable; but reliance on the CD‐ROM still gets searches done in a reasonable amount of time.
Before beginning, I strongly recommend that all users take the time to read either the “five‐minute” Quick Start Guide or go through the online tutorial; they are similar in content. Both explain the quickest way to begin searching and also serve to reinforce census terms that may be unfamiliar. Because the steps to follow for a search are not immediately apparent without going through the tutorial, reference desk staff will wish to post brief instructions by any PC which accesses this program.
Searches can be done with four simple menu selections. First, choose the appropriate geographic, neighborhood, or radius area to search in and, second, an associated subarea. For example, for a question regarding specific data on all of the counties within a state, choose the state as the area and “county” as the sub‐area. Third, select which variable you’d like to chart via the counts menu. Within this section, standard counts provide access to frequently‐requested statistics, while tailored counts let you choose from among 6,600 variables, organized into groups by subject. (Users looking to map a single variable should choose it under tailored counts.) Finally, choose run and select your output of choice:
color map
list report (a statistical table)
Dbase file
ASCII delimited
snapshot (summary)
The maps themselves are colorful and easy to read. Users can zoom in and out as well as point and click on a specific sub‐area to display statistics for a particular place. Colors on a plotted map indicate that a sub‐area falls within a particular statistical category for a variable. For example, when plotting language data for all counties within a state, counties with the largest number of Spanish speakers will all be colored red. A small warning, however: library patrons viewing the maps will want access to a color printer! List reports are likewise simple to read, as all data are displayed neatly within columns in a table.
Though these are minor complaints which could easily be fixed in future editions, it may be helpful to mention two drawbacks. First, there is no “print preview” option; so users wishing to print only a small portion of a report will have to either print the whole thing or guess on which page their section falls. Second, CensusCD+Maps uses abbreviated variable names in order to save space; and it is this variable name ‐ such as “BorPuert” to indicate “Native, born out of USA, Puerto Rico” ‐ which appears in reports. While these names are typically mnemonic, they are not always the easiest things to remember when looking at a completed report. A complete list of names for all variables is provided in Zip format on Geolytics’ Web page; it is not available via help on the CD‐ROM.
In summary, this program is a worthwhile addition to all academic and public libraries. While sites on the Internet with extracts of census data are useful, they do not match CensusCD+Maps for content and ease of use. Likewise, electronic census products from the US Government may contain the same data, but their interface is not nearly as helpful or attractive. The price also is reasonable and less than the cost of many reference books. Highly recommended for all collections.
