I am not sure what is going to happen with these statistical publications that we all use but I just wanted you to know that some action is probably coming from ALA and that you can also take some action. I think that at some point there may be something on capwiz, <a href="http://capwiz.com/ala/home/">http://capwiz.com/ala/home/</a>, though there isn't anything there yet.<br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Pam Klipsch</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:pklipsch@jeffcolib.org">pklipsch@jeffcolib.org</a>></span><br>Date: Thu, Mar 17, 2011 at 7:55 AM<br>
Subject: [alacoun] Fwd: Statistical Abstract - ALA action?<br><br>
<div>This question came to me from one of my librarians in Missouri. Can anyone provide additional details and tell us what action ALA is proposing?</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Thanks,</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Pam Klipsch<br><br></div>
<div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Brekhus, Rachel L.</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:BrekhusR@missouri.edu" target="_blank">BrekhusR@missouri.edu</a>></span><br>
Date: Thu, Mar 17, 2011 at 8:59 AM<br>Subject: Statistical Abstract - ALA action?<br>To: "<a href="mailto:pklipsch@jeffcolib.org" target="_blank">pklipsch@jeffcolib.org</a>" <<a href="mailto:pklipsch@jeffcolib.org" target="_blank">pklipsch@jeffcolib.org</a>><br>
Cc: "Concannon, Marie" <<a href="mailto:ConcannonM@missouri.edu" target="_blank">ConcannonM@missouri.edu</a>><br><br><br>
<div lang="EN-US" vlink="purple" link="blue">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Pam,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am hearing from Marie Concannon, our Documents librarian and Missouri’s FDLP Regional director, that the office that creates the <i>Statistical Abstract of the United States</i> is being cut entirely from the budget, meaning that we will be losing the print and online versions of the <i>Statistical Abstract of the United States</i> as well as several other key statistical compendia.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As our ALA Councilor, do you know if the ALA is aware of this, and whether it plans to take any coordinated action (asking members to write their members of Congress, etc.) against the loss of a resource that for many of us, and our users, is an absolutely central reference source?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’ll forward the email portions that Marie has forwarded to me below, in chronological order. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you for looking into this.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Rachel Brekhus</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Humanities Librarian, MU Libraries</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">……</p>
<p>-----Original Message-----<br>From: Discussion of Government Document Issues [mailto:<a href="mailto:GOVDOC-L@lists.psu.edu" target="_blank">GOVDOC-L@lists.psu.edu</a>] On Behalf Of Lori Smith<br>Sent: Monday, March 14, 2011 1:23 PM<br>
To: <a href="mailto:GOVDOC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU" target="_blank">GOVDOC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU</a><br>Subject: Re: update on Census Bureau program cuts</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dear Folks,</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I couldn't take the uncertainty anymore so I called the Census Bureau and spoke to Ian O'Brien who's the Chief of the Statistical Compendia Branch. He said that the 2012 budget doesn't include funding for his branch, which would mean the <span style="BACKGROUND: yellow">elimination of not only the Statistical Abstract, but all titles produced by that branch (State and Metropolitan Area Data Book, County and City Data Book, etc.). No new editions would be produced in print or online.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>I asked if there was any hope of changing this and he said that there's always a chance that Congress could be convinced to continue funding for the program. He said those who would like to save the Statistical Compendia Branch could write to their Senators and Representatives. I'm guessing this would go for the Federal Financial Statistics Program as well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So, start writing your letters and encourage others to do the same.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=</p>
<p>*Lori Smith</p>
<p>*Government Documents Department Head</p>
<p>*Sims Memorial Library</p>
<p>*Southeastern Louisiana University</p>
<p>*SLU 10896</p>
<p>*Hammond, LA 70402</p>
<p>*<a href="tel:%28985%29%20549-3966" target="_blank"><a href="tel:%28985%29%20549-3966" target="_blank"><a href="tel:%28985%29%20549-3966" target="_blank">(985) 549-3966</a></a></a> <a href="mailto:LSMITH@SELU.EDU" target="_blank"><span style="COLOR: black; TEXT-DECORATION: none">LSMITH@SELU.EDU</span></a></p>
<p>*<a href="http://www.selu.edu/library/directory/govdoc/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.selu.edu/library/directory/govdoc/index.html</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>From: Discussion of Government Document Issues [<a href="mailto:GOVDOC-L@lists.psu.edu" target="_blank">GOVDOC-L@lists.psu.edu</a>] On Behalf Of Deborah Mongeau [<a href="mailto:djmongeau@GMAIL.COM" target="_blank">djmongeau@GMAIL.COM</a>]</p>
<p>Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2011 1:10 PM</p>
<p>To: <a href="mailto:GOVDOC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU" target="_blank">GOVDOC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU</a></p>
<p>Subject: Re: update on Census Bureau program cuts</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I've read this section of the justification document and it looks like it's a pretty ambitious program and maybe it's more appropriate for collecting and disseminating data going forward but what I'm getting out of this report is that Statistical Abstract, etc. will be abolished and THEN the Census Bureau will initiate a pilot project to see how this new method will work for the data. It would be nice to have the pilot project completed first and IF the data favors it, THEN pull the plug on Statistical Abstract. And of course, if a new program is being established, it will take some time to organize, hire and train new staff, etc. So we'll most likely have 1-2 years of no data being distributed. Plus, the Statistical Abstract was user friendly. Anybody and everybody could and did use it. From what I'm reading here, the data will be posted online in a more timely manner and probably be more accurate (if the data on this method bear this out) but it will probably be more difficult for the casual user to ferret it out. I could be wildly misinterpreting the report but I'm a little concerned that cart is being put before the horse.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Debbie Mongeau</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Deborah Mongeau</p>
<p>Government Publications Librarian</p>
<p>University of Rhode Island Libraries</p>
<p>15 Lippitt Road</p>
<p>Kingston, RI 02881-2011</p>
<p><a href="tel:(401)874-4610" target="_blank">tel:<a href="tel:%28401%29874-4610" target="_blank"><a href="tel:%28401%29874-4610" target="_blank"><a href="tel:%28401%29874-4610" target="_blank">(401)874-4610</a></a></a></a></p>
<p>e-mail: <a href="mailto:dmongeau@uri.edu" target="_blank">dmongeau@uri.edu</a> OR <a href="mailto:djmongeau@gmail.com" target="_blank">djmongeau@gmail.com</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>On Tue, Mar 15, 2011 at 10:28 AM, Jeremy D. Darrington < <a href="mailto:jdarring@princeton.edu" target="_blank">jdarring@princeton.edu</a>> wrote:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>> The Department of Commerce's 2012 Congressional Budget Justification </p>
<p>> document confirms that:</p>
<p>> <a href="http://www.osec.doc.gov/bmi/budget/12CJ/Census_Bureau_FY_2012_Congressional_Submission.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.osec.doc.gov/bmi/budget/12CJ/Census_Bureau_FY_2012_Congressional_Submission.pdf</a>. </p>
<p>> See pp. 82-92 of the PDF. This doesn't appear to be a cut purely for </p>
<p>> lack of money, though; it appears that this is a strategic decision to </p>
<p>> shift focus and funds to a new program to enhance the federal </p>
<p>> statistical system's use of administrative records instead of direct collection from the population.</p>
<p>> </p>
<p>> Jeremy Darrington</p>
<p>> Social Science Librarian for Politics</p>
<p>> <a href="mailto:jdarring@princeton.edu" target="_blank">jdarring@princeton.edu</a></p>
<p>> Princeton University</p>
<p> </p>
<p>From: Discussion of Government Document Issues [mailto:<a href="mailto:GOVDOC-L@lists.psu.edu" target="_blank">GOVDOC-L@lists.psu.edu</a>] On Behalf Of Cismowski, David</p>
<p>Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 12:48 PM</p>
<p>To: <a href="mailto:GOVDOC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU" target="_blank">GOVDOC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU</a></p>
<p>Subject: Re: update on Census Bureau program cuts</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I have a visceral sense of loss upon learning that the Dept. of Commerce is evidently planning to stop publication of the Statistical Abstract in any format whatsoever--print or PDF.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The value of the Statistical Abstract is not in the data contained in the publication. Most of those data can be discovered by laboriously combing through other publications and online resources.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The value lies in the intellectual work expended to pre-coordinate those data so users don't have to laboriously search for disparate data elements, then manually work to cumulate them or write programs to cumulate them. For, as we all know, government agencies are great at publishing data; however, government agencies are not so good at organizing statistical data into useable chunks, thereby enabling easy longitudinal comparisons.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I once assisted a Census researcher who had a massive number of census schedules spread out over an entire reading room table. All he wanted to do was find the decennial population change for a few major U.S.</p>
<p>cities, over 50 years time. He thought he had to consult individual schedules for five separate decennial censuses to get the figures he needed, take handwritten notes, then compile those notes into a table.</p>
<p>As I showed him, all he needed was two pages from the Statistical Abstract, pages that had already cumulated those figures into a handy table for him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In addition to making a great number of time-bound data comparisons easy, the Abstract serves as a basic starting point for a statistical research project because of its tables' cited references and the marvelous introductions to statistical topical areas that inform a beginning researcher of the scope and history of statistical data pertaining to those topical areas.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A staple of newsrooms, TV and radio stations, business and corporate offices, independent researchers' libraries, and the libraries of information geeks across the country, the Statistical Abstract saves the United States economy millions of dollars of wasted time and productivity each year. But, of course, nobody can prove that, because nobody measures such things. It's admittedly just a belief that I feel is true.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>According to page 87 of Commerce's 2012 Congressional Budget Justification (thanks to Jeremy Darrington for providing the link), suspending publication of the Statistical Abstract will save the government a little bit less than $3 million. The assumption, I suppose, is that this will help reduce the deficit, thereby helping commerce and the economy. That also is a belief. One that I feel is false.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>David</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This message expresses my own opinions only and should not be construed as an official policy statement of the California State Library.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>David Cismowski</p>
<p>Bureau Chief, State Library Services</p>
<p>California State Library</p>
<p>900 N Street</p>
<p>PO Box 942837</p>
<p>Sacramento CA 94237-0001</p>
<p><a href="mailto:dcismowski@library.ca.gov" target="_blank">dcismowski@library.ca.gov</a></p>
<p><a href="tel:916-651-6814" target="_blank"><a href="tel:916-651-6814" target="_blank"><a href="tel:916-651-6814" target="_blank">916-651-6814</a></a></a></p>
<p><a href="tel:916-214-3878" target="_blank"><a href="tel:916-214-3878" target="_blank"><a href="tel:916-214-3878" target="_blank">916-214-3878</a></a></a> (cell)</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p></div></div></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><em><font style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" color="#000099" size="4" face="garamond,serif"><font color="#000066">Pam Klipsch MLS</font><br></font></em>Director<br>
Jefferson County Library<br>5678 Highway PP<br>High Ridge MO 63049<br><a href="tel:636-677-8689" target="_blank"><a href="tel:636-677-8689" target="_blank">636-677-8689</a></a><br><br>Missouri Chapter Councilor 2011-2013<br>
</div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>
<p><em><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Diedre Conkling</span></em><i><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><br><em><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">Lincoln County Library District</span></em><br>
<em><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">P.O. Box 2027</span></em><br><em><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">Newport, OR 97365</span></em><br><em><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">Phone & Fax: 541-265-3066</span></em><br>
<em><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">Work email</span></em></span></i><em><span style="FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">: </span></em><a href="mailto:diedre@lincolncolibrarydist.org" target="_blank"><i><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><font color="#0000ff">diedre@lincolncolibrarydist.org</font></span></i></a><i><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><br>
<em><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">Home email: </span></em></span></i><a href="mailto:diedre08@gmail.com" target="_blank"><em><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'; COLOR: blue; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">diedre08@gmail.com</span></em></a><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"></span></p>
<br>