We have had SimplyMap at Multnomah County Library for several years.  I
think the biggest users among our patrons are small business people who are
building business plans or who need marketing data.  And of course,
business school students from our local colleges & universities use it too
(I don't believe any of the nearby academic libraries have it).  I agree
that the easy access to census data is great, but some of the other data
sets are pretty wonderful too.

Patrons who are new to this kind of research often find the database
intimidating -- it's a little complex for the novice -- but the help videos
are fantastic, and I generally find that once I show a patron the ropes,
they can use it on their own fairly easily.

I'm not responsible for dealing with the vendor, but my sense from talking
with our electronic resources librarian is that they're pretty great to
work with.  They've come to do workshops for our staff a few times, when
they have recently added new data sets or had interface upgrades.


-- 
Emily-Jane Dawson | *reference librarian*
Multnomah County Library
  sun-thurs: Central Library <http://www.multcolib.org/agcy/cen.html> |
503.988.5728
*  follow us: *facebook <http://facebook.com/multcolib> | twitter
<http://twitter.com/multcolib>

"There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are
well written, or badly written. That is all."
   – Oscar Wilde, author's preface, *The Picture of Dorian Gray*



On Tue, Sep 15, 2015 at 10:34 AM, Aimee Quinn <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Hi Folks,
>
>
> I am returning to being responsible for maps after being away for over a
> decade and am in need of your help and guidance. Does anyone have any
> knowledge about SimplyMap? http://geographicresearch.com/SimplyMap
>
>
> Is it simple to use? Do you find it targeted for everyone or more for the
> public or for community users?
>
>
> Many thanks?
>
> Aimee
>
>
> Aimee C. Quinn
>
> Government Publications Librarian
>
> James E. Brooks Library
>
> 400 E. University Way
>
> Central Washington University
>
> Elllensburg, WA 98926
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
> 509-963-1592
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>