Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Can I access the CD-ROM data through my WWW browser (e.g. Mosaic or Netscape or Lynx?)

Partially. The 1990 Census LOOKUP module, presently supported by the Bureau of the Census, provides access to most of 1990 Summary Tape Files STF1 and STF3. The Data Access and Dissemination System (DADS) is a product under development which will include also the 1992 Economic Censuses and additional Census Bureau CD-ROMs which are in dBase format.

Can I obtain 1990 Census data for other geographic levels of detail?

1990 Census data are available on line for census blocks and other geographic units, but not directly through the LOOKUP WWW interface.

How can I obtain access to the data on CD-ROM?

You already have all the permissions you need. The data and software are publicly exported for access via NFS or anonymous FTP.

Repetitive operations in LOOKUP can be quite time-consuming. Is there a way to save previous selections for repeated use?

If you are running from Windows:
After you have manually selected all the tables you want, use the option "edit your selections so far." Use your mouse with "Edit/Copy" and "Edit/Paste" commands to save that text in a file for future use. (Consult your Windows documentation if you don't know how to use the "Edit" commands.) The next time you run LOOKUP, select one table, select the option "edit your selections so far" and put back the text you have saved.

If you are running from Unix:
Learn to use DBUTIL. See
dbutil.html

How can I download the data to my own computer?

databases in LOOKUP

The data that are in LOOKUP are easy to download. Three output formats are available: HTML, tab-delimited, and CODATA. For human-readable text output, use HTML. The tab-delimited format can be read by most spreadsheets and database programs. (CODATA is intended for advanced users in special applications.)

If you choose the tab-delimited format, extract at least one geographic area with the HTML format also, to obtain readable descriptions of the variables in the tables you have selected.

To capture the tab-delimited output, look for a function in your Web browser such as "save as" or "mail to". You may need to specify "source" rather than "HTML" format. Some Web browsers have known bugs which are documented on line. Some browsers have trouble with LOOKUP output, because LOOKUP output is "forms output" and not an ordinary HTML document. If necessary, try another browser.

databases not in LOOKUP

For the databases which are not in LOOKUP, considerably more skill and patience are required.

If you have enough time and disk space, you can download any of the data or software via anonymous FTP. (Please avoid large transfers during daytime hours.)

However, you don't need to download the CD-ROM files or even the software. If you have a PC on the Internet, purchase and install NFS software for your PC, then install the PC menu system, and you have a menu which provides interactive access to almost all of the CD-ROMs. Since you are using the LBL software directly, all updates are automatic and you don't need to keep your system current.

The same applies to the shell scripts and DBUTIL software for Unix computers.

May we point to your CD-ROMs from our own WWW server?

Yes. In fact it would be a great public benefit. WWW servers combining direct access with adequate metadata documentation are sorely lacking at present. You need not request permission to point to our CDs, but we make no guarantees. We expect to be acknowledged appropriately, and we would appreciate being informed of your development plans.

funding needed to maintain this system

What happens if the usage grows too heavy for you to handle?

That is beginning to happen now. As of February 1996 LOOKUP is receiving 250,000 requests monthly (from 25,000 users). Usage is growing by 10 percent each month. A few times per week one of our CD-ROM servers crashes due to collisions of data requests (which should be handled properly by the software but are not). If the problem worsens we may limit access by requiring users to pre-register.

The price of multi-disc CD-ROM drives is now below $100/GB and falling rapidly. Hard disk storage is only slightly more expensive. The hardware and software costs today are only a small fraction of our own development costs since 1990. By publicly documenting our system, we have removed most of the technical difficulties for future implementors.

Our motive for providing public access is to encourage others to install data on their own computers for shared Internet access. If others will imitate our procedures we can together develop an integrated system, duplicating only those datasets whose usage is too heavy for a single server to handle.

We want others to imitate us, not merely rely on us!

How can I get assistance if I need it?

We expect remote users to rely primarily upon the WWW documentation. If the documentation is inadequate or unclear, please inform us so we can improve it. Also we want to know about any system bugs that are not already described in the on-line documentation.

Regarding system problems or deficiencies in the WWW documentation, please send e-mail to Deane Merrill (dwmerrill@lbl.gov) .

Regarding the content of the CD-ROMs, you may request advice from the Census Bureau (webmaster@census.gov), or from reference librarians in a Federal Depository Library close to you. If you are a University of California user, you may request assistance from:

Fred Gey, UC DATA (gey@ucdata.berkeley.edu)

Ilona Einowski, UC DATA (census85@cmsa.berkeley.edu)

GSSI Reference Desk (510) 642-2569.