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Learning To Live Without A Statistical Abstract: Thinking About Future Access To Government Information, James Shaw

James B Shaw

Twenty-four years ago, in 1987, I made a presentation called “Basic Ready Reference: Documents that a Reference Librarian Cannot Live Without” at a meeting of the Iowa Library Association Government Documents Round Table. My top recommendation was the Statistical Abstract of the United States, that annual compendium of data so familiar and indispensible to American librarians everywhere. Twelve years ago, in 1999, I made a similar presentation at the NLA/NEMA Annual Conference, and again the Statistical Abstract took its place as the preeminent resource. The title of my presentation today, “Learning to Live Without a Statistical Abstract,” signals that our …