Life Without the Statistical Abstract

Published since 1878, the Statistical Abstract of the United States is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. Or should I say was…

For those who haven’t yet heard, the Statistical Compendium project ceased collecting data as of October 1, 2011.   This means that the Abstract, a remarkably compact yet comprehensive volume for statistical reference, will no longer be sent to Federal Depository Libraries which have received paper and CD-ROM versions of the Statistical Abstract each year at no charge.  Researchers will now have to track down individual sources of data that were collocated in the Abstract, including the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and many other Federal agencies and private organizations.

In Learning to Live Without a Statistical Abstract: Thinking about Future Access to Government Information, James T. Shaw discusses the detrimental impact that the demise of the Abstract will have on librarians and researchers who must now seek alternative sources for important information that has been relatively easy, convenient, and cost-effective to find.  Shaw describes how eliminating the products created by the Statistical Compendia (namely the Statistical Abstract of the United Statesand its supplemental products, the State and Metropolitan Area Data Book and the County and City Data Book) raises important issues regarding public access to government information, especially when you stop to consider how much we depend on that data to inform our understanding of our society, the economy, and public policy.

Furthermore, Shaw explains why there is no truly good alternative to the Statistical Abstract in terms of providing both convenience and breadth, either from other government or commercial sources.  He also helpfully provides descriptions of and links to other statistical sources and methods to mine available data moving forward.