Review by Choice Review
Documentation of the 1990 US Census is the most sophisticated in history. Available in more formats than ever before, the data seemingly should be more accessible. The most interesting format is CD-ROMs, which have been sent to depository libraries. They make available machine-readable data and a geographic referencing system to make maps that allow customized mapping of census information. Unfortunately, to make maps this new format requires expensive hardware and often complicated software. These high-technology limitations and fewer maps published by the Census make an atlas such as this desirable and valuable. It presents clear and concise maps in six areas: population, households, housing, race and ethnicity, economy, and education. The maps are in color and printed on paper of high quality. The text is informative, the graphics effective, the legends explanatory. Three levels of information are presented: state-level information on country maps; county-level information on regional maps; and maps of the 1980 census for comparison. A separate section identifies county names (although counties are outlined on their topical maps, they are not labeled). This atlas covers information only from the STF-1A tapes. The author promises a follow-up atlas with information from later census releases. Academic and general readers. C. M. Baldwin; University of Arizona
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
This work is organized into six sections containing maps that graphically depict the statistical results of the 1990 census of population and housing. Population includes density, age, sex, death and birth rates, etc. Information about households depicts families, marital status, female-headed, nonfamily, etc. The section on housing provides data about median value, sales, rent or own, etc. Race and ethnicity data cover immigration and African, Hispanic, Asian, and native Americans. Per capita income, manufacturing, transportation, retail, wholesale, service, and agriculture are covered in the section on the economy. The school-age population is depicted in the final part on education. Each section starts with a single-page summary of the data. This is followed by a national map of the 1980 census data, a map showing percentage of change from 1980 to 1990, and one of the 1990 census results. Regional data in graph form and specific statistics for each state are listed. Data are then presented for each of five regions of the country in maps that use color and shading to depict the statistics by county. The lists on these regional pages give statistics for major cities and the 10 counties with the most population. Throughout the book, the major cities for each region and the colors used on the regional map are consistent. Concluding the volume are maps naming the counties in each region, a metro fact finder that lists cities by size (not alphabetically) and then breaks down population by ethnicity and age, and a glossary of terms used in the census. Two problems were noted. The graph on page 125 for native Americans by region is the same as the graph on page 101 for African Americans by region. On page 144, it is not clearly labeled which line is for constant dollars and which is for current dollars. Otherwise, this is an excellent statistical reference source for libraries. Although it is not as exhaustive as the actual census reports from which it is derived, it has the numbers most users need for their reports, and it has the further advantages of being visually pleasing and easy to use. The atlas is recommended for purchase by academic and public libraries and by those high school and special libraries that need statistical references. (Reviewed Mar. 15, 1993)
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
What is the population of Hope, Arkansas? How about the Median Housing Value for Seattle? If you need to find such answers quickly, both volumes of the Atlas of the 1990 Census and the Upclose Census Digest should work. Each carves information from the 1990 Census into easily accessible components. The Atlas is most noteworthy for its stunning, color-coded maps on population, households, housing, race/ethnicity, the economy, and education. Each chapter starts with a page of text, followed by maps, chart, and figures. The book ends with a ``Metro Fact Finder,'' which provides quick information on nearly 1000 localities, arranged by population. The digests are mainly columns of numbers, but they are bursting with facts and simple to use. Designed so that each volume in the set can be used as a stand-alone reference (they may be purchased separately or together as a set), the two editions include some identical chapters: state/national profiles, source explanations, and county maps. The Zip Code Edition, as the title implies, arranges its main tables by zip code, while the City & Town Edition is organized by localities (city, town, etc.). Each features the same tables: population, race/ethnicity, households, housing, income, and education. Libraries with more than occasional need for census data will find these works an effective supplement to the Statistical Atlas of the United States (published yearly by the U.S. Bureau of the Census).-- Bruce Rosenstein, ``USA Today'' Lib., Arlington, Va. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Choice Review
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Library Journal Review
