Introduction

Davis Library Reference has a number of Census CD-ROM Products published by GeoLytics. These products allow users to create custom generated tables, maps, and GIS layers of census variables. Although there may be some small differences, the steps required to create tables, maps, and GIS layers are basically the same for all of the Census CD products. This page shall serve as a brief guide for using these products. For more complete documentation, see additional information.

Location

The GeoLytics Census CD-ROMs are located in the Electronic Documents section of the Reference Department in Davis Library. They are organized alphabetically by title in CD-ROM Cabinet 6.

Getting Started

The Census CD products are installed on the E-docs machines 1, 2, and 3, which are located in the Electronic Documents section of Davis Library Reference. Select the appropriate product from the CD Cabinet. Keep the CD-ROM inside the caddy, and insert it in the computer's external CD-ROM drive. Then open the folder on the computer's desktop entitled "Census of Population   Housing CD-ROMS" Inside that folder, choose the census year of the CD-ROM chosen. Finally, select the icon for the program and double-click it to begin. It is important that the icon chosen from the desktop matches the title of the CD-ROM. The programs have been installed on the machines, but they pull the data from the CD-ROM.
In addition to the instructions below, you may also find the brief instructions provided by the program useful when creating files. These instructions walk you through step-by-step, and are located in the bottom left hand corner of the program window.

Producing Files and Maps

STEP 1: Select a Geographic Area
The first step to creating a custom-made table or map is to define the geographic area of interest. The geographic area is the overall area of interest. The geographic area is then broken into subareas, or geographic units for which census data is provided (see step 2 and the Example provided below). To select a geographic area, go to the Area menu. Chose either Geographic Area or Radius from the menu. Geographic Area provides a list of increasingly smaller areas, such as Nation, Region, Division, State, County and Tract. Radius allows for the selection of a geographic area specified by map coordinates.

STEP 2: Select a Subarea
The subarea defines the census geography level or mapping unit for which census data is provided. To select a subarea, go to the Subarea menu, and select the preferred mapping unit.

Example:
To get census information for Orange County, NC by Blockgroup:

• select the menu item Area
• select Geographic Area from the pull down menu
• select Counties as the Geographic Area
• in the geographic areas window that appears, select "North Carolina" as the state
• select "NC, Orange County" as the county
• select the menu item Subarea
• select blockgroup
• click the Done icon on the right

STEP 3: Select Counts
Now that you have defined the area of interest (area) and mapping unit (subarea), it's time to select the variables you would like to include in your map or table.
First, go to the Counts menu. The Standard option provides a list of pre-formatted reports. The Tailored option allows you to choose from a listing of grouped variables. The Display option brings up a screen that links to variable groups, which are depicted with an icon on the left. Finally, variables may be searched for. This option is made available by choosing the Counts option under the Search menu, and entering text that appears in a variable's name. For the 2000 CensusDVD, use the American Factfinder website to search for variables. The 2000 CensusDVD names the variables with the census table numbers, and the American Factfinder interface allows for superior searching and better variable documentation. See How do I navigate the American Factfinder website? for additional information.

By using one of the above methods, select the variables to be included in the table or map. Make sure all of the variables chosen are listed in the "Selected Counts" box; then click DONE in the upper right corner. Note that the variable names will appear in the final product the same way that they appear in the "Selected Counts" box. Some CensusCD products use table numbers or other codes rather than the (often long) variable name. A data dictionary document file (*.doc) is created with each request. The document file lists the codes and the associated variables. For example, the variable code "Hi4999" stands for "Households income $0-$4,999".

STEP 4: Save the File
Each file is produced using a request file (*.req). All files generated from the same request will have the same name. To save the request, select Save As from the File menu, and provide a file name. If you are using a USB memory stick or your AFS space, save the request there now. For more information about accessing your AFS space, see How do I access my campus network space (H:\ drive) using the AFS Client?. If this step is skipped, the generated files will be named "Noname", and will be saved to the machine's hard disk. The location of these files is provided on the blue bar at the top of the program window.

STEP 5: Run the File
Choose an output option from the Run menu. Output options include: ASCII file, DBF file, or map. In order to create a GIS layer, first create a map. Once a map is generated, it can be exported in ESRI Shapefile format by selecting File, Export, to Arcview's Shape from the map window. MapInfo format is also available.

Additional Information

Additional information on these products can be found on the company's website http://censuscd.com, or in the products' User Guides. The user guides are available electronically- icons to open them are in the same location as the program's icon. Printed copies are kept in binders titled "User Guides", located on the small bookshelf in Davis Reference Electronic Documents beside the E-Docs printer. The user guides are organized alphabetically by title within the User Guides notebooks.

If difficulties arise while using any of the Census CD-ROM products, close the program and start it again. If difficulties persist, report them to the Reference Desk. For additional problems or questions, ask for help at the Reference Desk.

Return to Frequently Asked Questions | Visit our Main Page, GIS Services

For more GIS assistance,
Please contact Amanda C. Henley, GIS Librarian
amanda.henley@unc.edu
(919) 962-1151