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February 6, 2007

The American Community Survey from the U.S. Census

“Helping you make informed decisions” is a motto of the Census Bureau, just as it is a mission of libraries. As the country undergoes rapid demographic changes, decennial census figures do not represent current realities, so, to create a better basis for decision making, the American Community Survey came into being. On August 8, 2006, at the Camden County Library, November 13, 2006, at the CJRLC office, and on January 25, 2007, at the Morris County Library, Whittona Burrell, from the Bureau’s Philadelphia office, which covers southern New Jersey, and Rosemarie Fogarty, from the New York office, which takes care of northern New Jersey, explained the aims, data collection methods, and use of the ACS. The programs were cosponsored by the NJLA Reference Section, SJRLC, CJRLC and HRLC.

Because awareness of the American Community Survey is not widespread, many citizens receiving forms fear privacy invasion and other scams. Librarians are asked to spread the word that this is a legitimate endeavor, benefiting communities. As with all Census surveys, responding is mandatory.

No longer will the Census “long form” be distributed; the continuously compiled American Community Survey replaces it. About three million addresses are selected annually. Demographic, economic, housing, and social characteristics of geographic areas in the United States and Puerto Rico can be researched. Librarians planning services and collections will take particular interest in data about age, education, language spoken at home, disability status, time required to commute to work, race, gender, sexual orientation, and income level, but much more detail is provided in narrative form, tables, and maps.

Comparisons between the previous Census reports and the American Community Survey will have to be made with care. For example, the decennial Census surveys people, while the ACS concerns itself with households. Rewording of questions means that, for example, reports of income are not quite comparable, as the decennial Census asked about income in the previous calendar year, while the ACS asks about the previous twelve months, and, since the forms are distributed throughout the year, those months can be very different from January through December. The ACS inquires as to residence during the previous two months, while the decennial Census generally looks at a person’s usual residence (college towns will have different numbers). Data from the ACS is available for geographic areas with a total population of at least 65,000; smaller communities must wait until 2008 and every three years thereafter for compilations of data about their environments.

In spite of some inconsistencies, the American Community Survey promises to serve as a powerful new tool. Visit www.census.gov/acs/www to try it out. For more information or guidance, especially in respect to New Jersey information, contact either the New Jersey State Library, www.njstatelib.org/Ask_a_Librarian/ask_jerseyana.php or refdesk@njstatelib.org or The Newark Public Library, 973-733-7775 or reference@npl.org . For additional assistance, please be in touch with The Newark Public Library Reference Desk, 973-733-7779 or reference@npl.org, or regional Census offices, Philadelphia.Regional.Office@census.gov or new.york.regional.office@census.gov .

Leslie Kahn
Newark Public Library

Posted by mowyn at February 6, 2007 11:44 AM

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