This message was forwarded to the list by Larry Cruse.--------Johnnie -------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ---------------------------- Forwarded with Changes --------------------------- >From: [log in to unmask] at @UCSD >Date: 2/4/98 12:57PM >To: larry cruse at UCSDLIBRARY >*To: [log in to unmask] at @UCSD >Subject: Re: news from ALA federal update ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- this excerpt came from Susan Tulis' ALA report which was posted on GOVDOC-L last week. Victoria Williamson Social Sciences & Humanities Library University of California, San Diego La Jolla, CA 92093 [log in to unmask] _______________________________________________________________________________ .. ************************************** Hedy Rossmeissl, National Mapping Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, began by talking about data accessibility issues from the USGS. Much of the USGS information is available through their Global Land Information System <http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/webglis> and they are constantly expanding what's available. USGS has almost finished the digital raster graphics project of the United States. While the program began with CD-ROMs being supplied to the FDLP, it has run into some problems. Some of the disks are not readable and USGS does not have the money to supply replacements. Therefore, USGS is working with GPO to find a way for the data to be accessible over the Internet. Rossmeissl admitted that USGS is not doing as good a job as had been done historically in terms of revising maps. Revision has not been a top priority. They will be scanning in the topographic paper maps and making an effort to revise those maps that they know are popular. In terms of the digital orthophotos, half of the United States has been done or is in progress. USGS thinks that the entire country will be completed within the next five years. Initially this data was distributed via CD-ROMs, but it has proven too costly so the data is now on the web. Some states are still coming on CD-ROM because the states have put money into producing them. USGS has signed a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the Microsoft Corporation for access to their digital orthophoto data. Microsoft established this project as a way to serve massive amounts of data over the Internet, prove the capabilities of doing that, test the software, etc. Any one with access to the Internet has access to USGS's digital ortho data. Microsoft is guaranteeing to keep this site up for 18 months - it is not known what will happen when the 18 month period ends. Lars Johanson, Bureau of Census, covered three areas - new products the Bureau will be releasing the next few months, the 1997 Economic Census, Census 2000 and the DADS system of data delivery. NEW PRODUCTS: * Landview III CD-ROMs to be released in mid-January. This 11 disk series will allow creation of customized street maps and thematic maps; and include some updated map features, additional data items from the 1990 Census, and data about EPA regulated sites. Search results from queries of the Cds can be exported to separate files in Dbase, Lotus, Excel or any fixed like text format. Also, each record in a user file can be matched by main latitude and longitude coordinates to the census tract and block group level. * new Census Tract Street Index expected out early 1998 with new windows version software and updated street addresses. * first data set from the American Community Survey due out in mid-March on CD-ROM and will include a software package called Beyond 2000 which allows for viewing, charting and mapping of data. The ACS is a new survey which collects information similar to that found in the decennial census, except that this data allow users to see updated data every year for small areas of geography. It is a sample of households and annual averages are developed. The survey was first conducted at 4 sites in 1995 and the data sets from 1995 are currently available at the Census web site along with a fuller explanation of the ACS. More sites will be added in years to come as the ACS is expanded. *****************************************