The Australian government has just launched a free website offering up a wide array of government datasets. Topics include business, community, education, geography, transportation, society, safety and the environment. You can search the database or browse by category or latest added.
Categories
Book of Odds
The Book of Odds is an online statistical encyclopedia which will launch October 14, 2009. Although not specifically about government publications the topics do include statistics about politics as well as health, accidents, and relationships. Here are some examples:
- The average American is more likely to live without ever visiting a dentist than to live without a TV in her home.
- A married man is about as likely to cheat on his wife as he is to experience a flight delay.
From the New York Times: “The Book of Odds is a searchable online database of “odds statements,” the probabilities of everyday life. You can search it by keyword or by the odds themselves— for instance, how many things stand a 1 in 142 chance of happening to to you. As a special treat for Freakonomics readers, you can try the beta version of the site by clicking here and entering the username “brownian” and password “motion.”… Some of the items you’ll find include:
Read the full NYT article here
The EIA has just launched a new consumer information site called “Energy Explained, Your Guide to Understanding Energy.” The site provides a wealth of information on energy: consumption and production statistics, energy units and conversion calculators, energy and the environment, and renewable/non-renewable energy sources. Also provides some information/statistics on international oil production, consumption and reserves. While the site is aimed at consumers and is written in simple, non-jargon laden language, it is chock-full of useful facts and statistics and also provides links to EIA key titles, such as:
- Energy Perspectives : “a graphical overview of energy history in the United States…. revealing sweeping trends related to the Nation’s acquisition and use of energy from 1949 through 2008.”
- Annual Energy Outlook 2009 : “presents projections and analysis of US energy supply, demand, and prices through 2030.”
- Monthly Energy Review : the EIA’s “primary report of recent energy statistics. Included are total energy production, consumption, and trade; energy prices; overviews of petroleum, natural gas, coal, electricity, nuclear energy, renewable energy, and international petroleum; carbon dioxide emissions; and data unit conversions.”
From the US GOVDOC Listserv: The White House, U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) and the National Archives' Office of the Federal Register (OFR) achieved a breakthrough in making Government information available and usable by the public. GPO converted the text of the Federal Register (2000-2009) into XML and placed it online in numerous Federal Government portals, which include:
This project began when President Barack Obama challenged Federal agencies to create a more open and transparent Government. GPO's Federal Digital System (FDsys), a world-class information management system for Federal publications, is instrumental in enabling this enhanced capability for the Federal Register. The change supplements the official publishing formats with XML, a form of text that can be manipulated in virtually limitless ways with digital applications. For example, people who want to know about the workings of the Executive branch of the Federal Government no longer need to sift through the Federal Register in its traditional Department-by-Department and Agency-by-Agency format. This new format will allow applications to be developed that will support user needs and can rearrange the Federal Register's contents in personalized ways to match their particular interests. It will be possible, for example, to download the Federal Register and easily see what proposed actions might affect one's community or region, or what actions might have an impact on one's profession or business interests. Link to the Federal Register Bulk Data Repository
Read the news story from Docuticker and the full report is from Trust for American’s Health.
Read the story from the Globe and Mail. On Sept. 29, 2009, the BC Government issued an Information Bulletin on the H1N1 virus and the BC Ministry of Health also has a H1N1 website.
Read the Tyee story about the slashed cuts in Arts funding. Actress Kim Cattrall also spoke out about cuts to arts funding – read the story from the Vancouver Sun.
Students, faculty and staff at UBC Library now have online access to the session laws of the Acts of the Parliament of Canada – 1926 – 2007 via the subscription database HeinOnline. Print copies are also available – covering the years 1867 – 2007 at call number KG16 .A25
Eurostat, the EU’s statistical agency, has just released its 2009 issue of Europe in Figures. This is freely available on-site as a Pdf download and “presents a comprehensive selection of statistical data on Europe.” It is also produced and disseminated in print. UBC Library has print copies of this annual publication from 1995 – 2008, with the 2009 on its way, at call number HA1107.5 .E976.
“With just over 500 statistical tables, graphs and maps, the yearbook treats the following areas: the economy, population, education, health, living conditions and welfare, the labour market, industry and services, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, international trade, transport, the environment, energy, science and technology and Europe’s regions. This edition’s spotlight chapter covers creativity and innovation – the theme of the European year 2009.” Most of the data from this publication cover years 1997 – 2007.
The United Nations has just announced that it will be consolidating four disparate organizations devoted to women’s/gender issues into a single entity.
“The resolution means the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), the Division for the Advancement of Women, the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the UN International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW) will be merged.”
The aim is for the new body to provide a more streamlined, coherent and “robust” promotion of “the well-being of women, ” gender equality and female empowerment around the world.
As yet the new organization lacks a formal “mission, structure, funding (or) oversight” but Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has been tasked to provide these so that the body can be formed “as soon as possible.”