Comments on: Stat Abs, I Hardly Knew Ye

By: Dave Tyckoson

Dave Tyckoson — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 23:06:44 +0000

The only reason that Statistical Abstract is free online is because the government makes the effort to compile it as a published resource. If we stop comiling Statistical Abstract, the information will not be available anywhere. Or more precisely, it will be available in odd little corners of the .gov universe under various agencies in various forms in a variety of formats. The advantage of Statistical Abstract as a source is that it pulls together all of this data into one convenient source (or at least one more convenient source — I always hated that they used table numbers instead of page numbers in the print version). By using the abstract, we can find the data that we need or link to the report that the data was extracted from if we need more information.

Note that Statistical Abstract is one of the government’s best selling books. Both the harback and paperback are listed on the top 25 list from the U.S. Government Bookstore, with the hardback at #3 (just in front of the Federal Budget book) and the paperback at #9 (right after a book on renovating to eliminate lead paint and before the report of the Commission on the Gulf oil spill). See http://bookstore.gpo.gov/bestsellers/index.jsp for the best seller list.

Statistical Asbtract is simply one of the most important reference sources in teh United States. Librarians need it — as do the people of this nation. It is a core source in getting quality information to the people — something that the government needs to continue, not eliminate.

By: brian

brian — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 20:09:03 +0000

the ad idea sounds good! Statistics too, are in the public domain; we shouldn’t have to do cartwheels to get them. The government does things in strange and mysterious ways; like print the Congressional Record on a daily basis; I’ll bet that publication is a hot one on the average librarian’s list.

By: wondering

wondering — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 15:49:12 +0000

Right… so if the data will not even be compiled anymore, how will it be available online, anywhere, even Google? I’m trying (unsuccessfully) not to sound like an alarmist, but if in times of economic stress, the government decides to cut not only access to information, but the information itself, how is this good for our country?

By: Fan

Fan — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 01:46:17 +0000

You do realize that the statistical absract will no longer be online as well? Without that, we’ll have to take datasets and crunch them ourselves. The Stat Ads makes this government data accessible to non-social scientists.

By: Logic

Logic — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 17:20:37 +0000

Clearly, you have never used the Stat Abstract, or tried to find data. It is a valuable source to where the data is located (which, even with Google, can be very hard to find). It also includes data which is private data. The budget reduction request does not only do away with the Stat Abstract, but with several other items like the City-County Databook, and their electronic versions. It isn’t just that they won’t print it…they will not compile the data.

One friend (non-librarian) made a quip like: Oh, now the government does not want us to see the data which we paid for and shows what the government is doing.

By: bob

bob — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:56:36 +0000

AL, your comments remind me of the republican argument that any government spending is bad, since anything can be privatized.

Actually my comment was a fairly unoriginal quip. My larger point (like all those regressive librarians) is that paltry sums of government money are being cut from valuable resources (not just library resources) when our nations massively over sized defense budget is never touched. It’s a point I’ve made in your comments section before.

By: Annoyed Librarian

Annoyed Librarian — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:53:37 +0000

bob, your comment about Afghanistan reminds me of the regressive librarian arguments that since any money the government spends on anything COULD be spent on libraries instead, every political issue is a library-related issue.

By: bob

bob — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:49:48 +0000

Many libraries receive the statistical abstract through the FDLP. I’m sure a private publisher wouldn’t jack up the cost to the point where most libraries couldn’t afford their version. That has certainly never happened when a public resources ends up privatized.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:39:07 +0000

Somehow I got through Library School without being introduced to Stat Abs…and I took reference classes.

By: will manley

will manley — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:09:54 +0000

2. The best way to save Stat Abs would be for the feds to sell e book copies of it to libraries with a 26 use self destruct clause.