ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States 2013
National Data Book
Published on 21. February 2013
Book
Hardback
1048 pages
978-1-59888-591-0 (ISBN)
Description
Published annually by the Federal Government since 1878, The Statistical Abstract of the United States is the best-known statistical reference publication in the country, and perhaps, the world. You'll find it behind nearly every reference desk in U.S. libraries as the authoritative go-to source. Librarians value the Statistical Abstract as both an answer book and a guide to statistical sources. As a carefully selected collection of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States, it is a snapshot of America and its people.
In the spring of 2011, the Census Bureau announced that the edition that year would be the last one produced at government expense. Despite protests from librarians and journalists and despite petitions to Congress, the Census Bureau unit that published the Statistical Abstract was eliminated in November. Its elimination resulted not from a decline in the popularity or perceived value of statistical compilations, but from the need to reduce agency spending while supporting new and existing data collection efforts.
ProQuest and Bernan have now taken on responsibility for updating and releasing this publication, the most used statistical reference tool in libraries. We bring to this task ProQuest's 35 years of experience acquiring, abstracting, and indexing Federal Government statistical publications and tables and Bernan's 60 years of providing libraries with essential government publications and quality service.
The Statistical Abstract print edition resembles the Census version that users know and love, plus more with:
?Thousands of tables from hundreds of sources and valuable, detailed bibliographic documentation
?Updated introductory sections and back-of-the-book index
?8 1/2" x 11" hardcover format to withstand heavy use
?25% larger type for easier reading
In the spring of 2011, the Census Bureau announced that the edition that year would be the last one produced at government expense. Despite protests from librarians and journalists and despite petitions to Congress, the Census Bureau unit that published the Statistical Abstract was eliminated in November. Its elimination resulted not from a decline in the popularity or perceived value of statistical compilations, but from the need to reduce agency spending while supporting new and existing data collection efforts.
ProQuest and Bernan have now taken on responsibility for updating and releasing this publication, the most used statistical reference tool in libraries. We bring to this task ProQuest's 35 years of experience acquiring, abstracting, and indexing Federal Government statistical publications and tables and Bernan's 60 years of providing libraries with essential government publications and quality service.
The Statistical Abstract print edition resembles the Census version that users know and love, plus more with:
?Thousands of tables from hundreds of sources and valuable, detailed bibliographic documentation
?Updated introductory sections and back-of-the-book index
?8 1/2" x 11" hardcover format to withstand heavy use
?25% larger type for easier reading
Reviews / Votes
When the Census Bureau announced in 2011 that the edition of the Statistical Abstract published that year would be the last one produced by the federal government, many librarians protested the loss of this essential reference tool. When their protests could not reverse the decision, ProQuest stepped up to continue this source, which has been used by libraries since 1878. Most aspects of this new edition will be familiar: an excellent index, arrangement by table numbers, inclusion of source information, and introductory pages for each section. Changes include larger text, the addition of 39 new tables, and the deletion of 27 tables for which ProQuest was unable to reach agreement with the source. A listing of both added and deleted tables is included in introductory materials. For the deleted tables, in 14 instances replacement tables are indicated. An online version, preferred by most users, will provide monthly instead of annual updates and the capability of using facets to limit results by source, data date, subject, and type of data breakdown. When a table is opened a link to the original governmental or nongovernmental publication is, in most cases, given. The online Statistical Abstract could be improved in a number of ways. No link is provided to allow users to go from the index, which opens in a PDF document, to a table. The only way to go to a known table is to enter "table #" in the search box. Confusion arises since the word "source" is used both at the end of each table and in the facets to indicate the original governmental or nongovernmental publication; and also, when a table is opened, as a link to download that entire section of the Statistical Abstract. The capability to save a table is not readily apparent; users must choose the XLS option, which will transfer the table into a savable Excel file. In either format (or in many cases in both formats), this is an indispensable purchase for all libraries. Summing Up: Essential. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers. * CHOICE, June 2013 * ProQuest and Bernan are to be congratulated for continuing to provide librarians and users necessary statistical information. The publishers have succeeded in giving researchers of any age statistics at a reasonable price in print and online. * Booklist, April 15, 2013 * Patrons in need of serious data on the United States, including nitty-gritty on the lives of its inhabitants, need look no further than Statistical Abstract (ProQuest and Bernan, Jan.), but the book is also a browser's dream, offering a mature alternative for those who've outgrown Guinness Book of World Records and your library's various almanacs. It'll be a welcome addition, too, for patrons tired of the bloviated Internet rhetoric that can't stand up to table after table on such topics as school crime and safety, campaign finances, corporate profits, and immigration..... The careful presentation of this work is a joy to behold. Each section of statistics is preceded by an overview describing the sources of the numbers and offering further-reading leads where appropriate; appendixes provide more such detail as well as the happily retro, self-effacing (if statistically standard) "Limitations of the Data." * Library Journal, December 2012 * Librarians everywhere rejoiced when ProQuest announced its decision to take over publication of a classic source published since 1878, most recently by the Census Bureau. The 2013 print edition adds new tables on "Same Sex Households" (there were 646,464 in 2010), "Obese Children" (18%), "Youth with a Major Depressive Disorder" (8% in 2010), and "Mean Student Loan Debt" ($26,682). A new table, "Leisure Time Use" shows that most people watch too much TV (53% of their free time) as opposed to participating in sports/recreation (7%) or reading (4%). With enhanced indexing, the print edition is easy to navigate and a pleasure to use. * Library Journal (Reference), December 2012 * A treasure trove of interesting, odd and illuminating statistics is revealed in the 135th edition of the Statistical Abstract of the United States. * New York Post, December 21, 2012 *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Target group
US School Grade: From College Freshman to College Graduate Student
Product notice
Laminated cover
Dimensions
Height: 287 mm
Width: 224 mm
Thickness: 50 mm
Weight
2136 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-59888-591-0 (9781598885910)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
By Bernan Press and ProQuest