Free trial: Historical Statistics of the United States

Nash Library has subscribed to a free trial (through July 17, 2007) of the Historical Statistics of the United States (HSUS), the first revised and updated edition of the Historical Statistics to appear since 1975. The online edition includes the complete contents of the five volume print version in a powerful, searchable online platform. Users will find Historical Statistics Online the ultimate research tool: you can quickly download, combine, or graph tables, and even export data into Excel or other spreadsheet programs. HSUS contains more than 37,000 annual time series of historical information covering virtually every quantifiable dimension of American history: population, work and welfare, economic structure and performance, governance, and international relations, all from the earliest times to the present.

To look at the site, go to: http://192.146.206.181:2048/login?url=http://hsus.cambridge.org.

During the trial, you will be able to access the HTML tables and essays of all Parts (Volumes) of the site — but you can access PDF files for Part A (POPULATION) only. For tables and essays on other parts of the site, a price will display next to the PDF link — but you should be able to access the table or essay itself by clicking its name. If we decide to purchase the database, then we will have complete free access to all PDFs in all sections.

Below are the browser requirements for use with HSUS:

1)Historical Statistics is optimized to work on the latest versions of IE (6+ on PC, 5+ on Mac), as well as Safari and Firefox and other major browsers.

2) Popups and javascripting should be enabled. Session cookies should be allowed.

3) Browser security settings should be on Medium or lower. Settings that disable scripting will cause a problem with the site’s functionality.

As always, I encourage your feedback so that we can make an informed decision as to whether or not you think this resource will aid you in your coursework and/or your research.

What good is the Library’s website, anyhow?

This seems to be a question ask people ask themselves more than they ask us. It’s a shame too, because we lose an opportunity for shameless self-promotion to show you a lot of helpful information. As of June 11, 2007, the website is getting a new look as well as new features that should see a lot of tweaking and additions as time passes. As we improve the site, we will update this post to let you know what’s new.

In case you didn’t know, the site is at:

http://www.usao.edu/library

Update — June 22, 2007

• The Trend Archive is now integrated into the website
  • You can search issues of USAO’s student-run newspaper, The Trend dating from 1919 to 2003
  • http://www.usao.edu/library/collections/trend

Update — June 15, 2007

• Faster loading electronic reserves!
  • Filesize of most reserves has been reduced by 90%
  • Viewing reserves now requires Adobe Reader 7 or higher

Updates — June 11, 2007

• Basic search of the catalog from the front page
• Electronic reserves accessible from front page
• Library Tech support!
  • If you are having trouble using the Library’s electronic offerings, let us know by filling out the form at –> Services –> Tech Support.
• Better compliance with Section 508 accessibility standards (this will continue to improve)
• XHTML 1.0 Transitional markup for more consistency between browsers