New Web Site Allows Users Mapping Capabilities

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University Park, PA -- The University Libraries' Maps and Data Center has created an interactive Web site that allows users to map out statistics by counties in Pennsylvania.

"The Libraries has so much electronic information on CD-ROMs that it is hard to distribute," says Maps Librarian Melissa Lamont. "Through this Web database, a large amount of information is made available to as many people as possible in the easiest format to use." The database is located at http://www.maproom.psu.edu/cbp/

Users can choose County Business Patterns, which presents business statistics by Standard Industrial Classification within Pennsylvania's counties. When creating a map on this site, users follow screens to choose from the thousands of datafiles and 17 variables that describe various attributes of the industries. Users can also access USA County Data, which offers more than 3,000 variables including agriculture, crime, elections, income, and vital statistics. Both datasets allow users to choose color and mapping options.

One of only a few Web sites to offer interactive mapping, County Business Patterns provides data covering most of the economic divisions of the economy; such as agricultural services, mining, construction, manufacturing, transportation, public utilities, wholesale trade, retail trade, finance, insurance, real estate, and services.

This data is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark for statistical series, surveys, and databases between economic censuses. It also helps in analyzing market potential, measuring the effectiveness of sales and advertising programs, setting sales quotas, and developing budgets. The data are used by government agencies for administration and planning.

Provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, USA County Data offers more than 3,000 data items such as agriculture, ancestry, banking, crime, education, elections, Federal and local government, health, housing, labor force and employment, land area, income and earnings, earnings by industry, population, poverty, retail trade, service industries, vital statistics, and wholesale trade.

This ongoing project was initiated by the Libraries' Maps and Data Center with assistance from G. Ian Bowles, a graduate student in soil science. Student interns from the Department of Geography will continue expanding both programs in the future.

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Contact: Melissa Lamont 865-0139; Pamela T. Peterson Writer/Editor E404 Pattee Library University Park, PA 16802 814-865-0401

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