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State policy data book '87, state policy data diskette
88
GOVERNMENT
INFORMATION
QUARTERLY
Vol. ~/NO. 1 /1988
POINTER: The Microcomputer Reference Program for Federal Documents (Diskette and User’s Manual), by Karen F. Smith, Buffalo, New York: Lookwood Library, State University of New York at Buffalo, 1987, $30.00. Reviewed by Peter Hernon* Students and others may use a library’s collection of government publications at times when a member of the staff is unavailable to provide reference assistance. In other cases, individuals seek information but do not want to interact with the staff. POINTER is directed at both types of circumstances. The software “walks” users through a series of menus to identify selected reference works that might meet their information needs. If these sources are not helpful, POINTER encourages them to contact a librarian or to input their name, telephone number, and reference question. A member of the staff will contact them. This software is written in BASIC for an IBM-PC, or an IBM compatible microcomputer, with 2 disk drives and 256K RAM. The User’s Manual provides clear operating instructions and explains the procedures for modifying the program. Libraries may want to add additional titles, provide their own call numbers and locational information, or reference later editions. In some cases, they will delete the option for a call back service. Because the software has been copyrighted, libraries should inform Ms. Smith of any changes or enhancements. Menus query if the patron has a Superintendent of Documents classification number, wants a quick explanation of that numbering system, or has a title or number (bill, public law, technical report, Serial Set, or presidential executive order) but needs to know how to locate the actual source. Additional menus discuss maps or provide subject access. There are 15 search options for subject, including, for example, treaties, regulations, and numeric data. One can quibble with some of the sources included and the suggestions offered. For example, if a user seeks a publication with a 1985 publication date, POINTER assumes that the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) had promptly picked up that source and included it in the Monthly Catalog. Also the software greatly underrepresents the range of reference sources for pre- 1900 documents. Although POINTER concentrates on publications distributed by the GPO, it does reference Government Reports Announcements & Index and selected other sources for report literature. Staff at other libraries may want to expand coverage of these sources and provide information about the benefits of online searching. Once they have the list of recommended titles, library patrons must negotiate the actual sources and the collection. Therefore, libraries adopting POINTER might develop written guides to the collection and the sources identified in the software. POINTER should include more titles, more explanation, and a more pleasing visual image on the screen. With future editions and assistance from libraries making modifications, the utility of this software will continue to increase. Many library patrons enjoy using technology and will undoubtedly consult POINTER. *Peter Hernon is Professor at Simmons College. Boston, Massachusetts
02 I 15
State Policy Data Book ‘87, State Policy Data Diskette. McConnellsburg, 1987, $199.00.
PA: Brizius & Foster,
Reviewed by Peter Hernon* Brizius & Foster, a public affairs consulting firm for state policy issues, prepared both sources for State Policy Research, Inc. of Alexandria, Virginia. The data book is available annually in a
89
Reviews
loose-leaf binder and has a mid-year update. For the $199, subscribers receive the two diskette set, a copy of the printed data book, and a 6-month update of both the diskette and data book. Arranged by 16 subjects (e.g., demographics, taxes, education, crime and law enforcement, welfare and social services, and science and technology), the data book reports over 400 data elements for all 50 states, with each state’s national ranking. Tables report findings for a particular year (often 1984, 1985, or 1986), trend data (e.g., for 1980-1985), or projections (for 1985-2000). Maps indicate distributions among the states. A section of notes explains each data element, defines terms, identifies the source from which a data element has been derived, and offers additional information. Often the source of the data is a Federal agency such as the Bureau of the Census or the Bureau of Labor Statistics. State Policy Data Diskette is a machine-readable counterpart to the printed data book. The two diskettes are formatted for Lotus l-2-3 and Symphony. However, there is no accompanying user manual. Therefore, diskette users must be familiar with either spreadsheet. Upon examination of the diskettes, it becomes apparent that the 16 files correspond to the 16 sections of the printed data book. Each column then corresponds to a table in the book. Most libraries needing state rankings and comparisons will find that the printed data book adequately meets their needs. This source captures and reports an extensive array of information in a state-by-state ranking. Tables in the reference work also report averages, in many cases national averages. Users doing original research, and engaged in regression analysis and “what if’ scenarios, will benefit from having access to the diskettes. They can graph data and import/export data as they compare the data provided here with other data at their disposal. Researchers and teachers will appreciate the reasonable price of the set. They can introduce students to numeric databases and encourage the manipulation of datasets to examine formal hypotheses. *Peter Hernon is Professor, Simmons College, Boston, Massachusetts
021 15
United States Congressional Districts and Data, 1843-1883, by Stanley B. Parsons, William W. Beach, and Michael J. Dubin, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1986, 225 pages, $65.00, ISBN 0-313-22045-X, LC 85-675782. Reviewed by Teresa L. Demo* This second volume of a projected three-volume reference work aims to facilitate research in the areas of legislative behavior and aggregate election analysis. The objective of the series is to present county and district descriptive data, with maps that show the geographic location of all congressional districts from 1788 through 1942. The compilers assert that this is the most important “descriptive demographic data that can be readily distilled from the printed census.” After 1942, the U.S. Bureau of the Census itself became the source for aggregating census data by congressional district and including maps of each district in its decennial publications. Encompassing the 28th to 47th Congresses, this volume delineates congressional district boundaries and contains information on county composition. Statistical data common to all datasets include total county population and population per square mile. For the period prior to the Civil War, the statistic “percent Black,” a summation of the slave and free Black population, is added. Other statistics unique to a particular dataset, such as the significant amount of occupational data in the 1840 Census, are also included and attempts are made to keep additional datasets parallel. In general, this volume emphasizes greater presentation of descriptive data as a result of the increased amount of census data available during the latter part of the 19th century. It eliminates references included in the earlier volume (1788-1841) that provided
GOVERNMENT
INFORMATION
QUARTERLY
Vol. ~/NO. 1 /1988
POINTER: The Microcomputer Reference Program for Federal Documents (Diskette and User’s Manual), by Karen F. Smith, Buffalo, New York: Lookwood Library, State University of New York at Buffalo, 1987, $30.00. Reviewed by Peter Hernon* Students and others may use a library’s collection of government publications at times when a member of the staff is unavailable to provide reference assistance. In other cases, individuals seek information but do not want to interact with the staff. POINTER is directed at both types of circumstances. The software “walks” users through a series of menus to identify selected reference works that might meet their information needs. If these sources are not helpful, POINTER encourages them to contact a librarian or to input their name, telephone number, and reference question. A member of the staff will contact them. This software is written in BASIC for an IBM-PC, or an IBM compatible microcomputer, with 2 disk drives and 256K RAM. The User’s Manual provides clear operating instructions and explains the procedures for modifying the program. Libraries may want to add additional titles, provide their own call numbers and locational information, or reference later editions. In some cases, they will delete the option for a call back service. Because the software has been copyrighted, libraries should inform Ms. Smith of any changes or enhancements. Menus query if the patron has a Superintendent of Documents classification number, wants a quick explanation of that numbering system, or has a title or number (bill, public law, technical report, Serial Set, or presidential executive order) but needs to know how to locate the actual source. Additional menus discuss maps or provide subject access. There are 15 search options for subject, including, for example, treaties, regulations, and numeric data. One can quibble with some of the sources included and the suggestions offered. For example, if a user seeks a publication with a 1985 publication date, POINTER assumes that the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) had promptly picked up that source and included it in the Monthly Catalog. Also the software greatly underrepresents the range of reference sources for pre- 1900 documents. Although POINTER concentrates on publications distributed by the GPO, it does reference Government Reports Announcements & Index and selected other sources for report literature. Staff at other libraries may want to expand coverage of these sources and provide information about the benefits of online searching. Once they have the list of recommended titles, library patrons must negotiate the actual sources and the collection. Therefore, libraries adopting POINTER might develop written guides to the collection and the sources identified in the software. POINTER should include more titles, more explanation, and a more pleasing visual image on the screen. With future editions and assistance from libraries making modifications, the utility of this software will continue to increase. Many library patrons enjoy using technology and will undoubtedly consult POINTER. *Peter Hernon is Professor at Simmons College. Boston, Massachusetts
02 I 15
State Policy Data Book ‘87, State Policy Data Diskette. McConnellsburg, 1987, $199.00.
PA: Brizius & Foster,
Reviewed by Peter Hernon* Brizius & Foster, a public affairs consulting firm for state policy issues, prepared both sources for State Policy Research, Inc. of Alexandria, Virginia. The data book is available annually in a
89
Reviews
loose-leaf binder and has a mid-year update. For the $199, subscribers receive the two diskette set, a copy of the printed data book, and a 6-month update of both the diskette and data book. Arranged by 16 subjects (e.g., demographics, taxes, education, crime and law enforcement, welfare and social services, and science and technology), the data book reports over 400 data elements for all 50 states, with each state’s national ranking. Tables report findings for a particular year (often 1984, 1985, or 1986), trend data (e.g., for 1980-1985), or projections (for 1985-2000). Maps indicate distributions among the states. A section of notes explains each data element, defines terms, identifies the source from which a data element has been derived, and offers additional information. Often the source of the data is a Federal agency such as the Bureau of the Census or the Bureau of Labor Statistics. State Policy Data Diskette is a machine-readable counterpart to the printed data book. The two diskettes are formatted for Lotus l-2-3 and Symphony. However, there is no accompanying user manual. Therefore, diskette users must be familiar with either spreadsheet. Upon examination of the diskettes, it becomes apparent that the 16 files correspond to the 16 sections of the printed data book. Each column then corresponds to a table in the book. Most libraries needing state rankings and comparisons will find that the printed data book adequately meets their needs. This source captures and reports an extensive array of information in a state-by-state ranking. Tables in the reference work also report averages, in many cases national averages. Users doing original research, and engaged in regression analysis and “what if’ scenarios, will benefit from having access to the diskettes. They can graph data and import/export data as they compare the data provided here with other data at their disposal. Researchers and teachers will appreciate the reasonable price of the set. They can introduce students to numeric databases and encourage the manipulation of datasets to examine formal hypotheses. *Peter Hernon is Professor, Simmons College, Boston, Massachusetts
021 15
United States Congressional Districts and Data, 1843-1883, by Stanley B. Parsons, William W. Beach, and Michael J. Dubin, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1986, 225 pages, $65.00, ISBN 0-313-22045-X, LC 85-675782. Reviewed by Teresa L. Demo* This second volume of a projected three-volume reference work aims to facilitate research in the areas of legislative behavior and aggregate election analysis. The objective of the series is to present county and district descriptive data, with maps that show the geographic location of all congressional districts from 1788 through 1942. The compilers assert that this is the most important “descriptive demographic data that can be readily distilled from the printed census.” After 1942, the U.S. Bureau of the Census itself became the source for aggregating census data by congressional district and including maps of each district in its decennial publications. Encompassing the 28th to 47th Congresses, this volume delineates congressional district boundaries and contains information on county composition. Statistical data common to all datasets include total county population and population per square mile. For the period prior to the Civil War, the statistic “percent Black,” a summation of the slave and free Black population, is added. Other statistics unique to a particular dataset, such as the significant amount of occupational data in the 1840 Census, are also included and attempts are made to keep additional datasets parallel. In general, this volume emphasizes greater presentation of descriptive data as a result of the increased amount of census data available during the latter part of the 19th century. It eliminates references included in the earlier volume (1788-1841) that provided