Government Information & Data Rescue: Alternative Sources

The Digital Federal Depository Library Program, or the “USDocs” LOCKSS network, replicates key aspects of the United States Federal Depository Library Program. The current focus is harvesting and preserving collections hosted on the U.S. Government Publishing Office’s (GPO) govinfo.gov database. See also the (Digital Federal Depository Library Program FAQ: https://www.lockss.org/sites/g/files/sbiybj27616/files/media/file/digital_fdlp_faq_24.pdf).

Hosting copies of immunization schedules and contraceptive use guidance from the CDC.

Census Reporter is an independent project to make data from the American Community Survey (ACS) easier to use. They are unaffiliated with the U.S. Census Bureau.

DataLumos is an ICPSR archive for valuable government data resources. ICPSR has a long commitment to safekeeping and disseminating US government and other social science data. DataLumos accepts deposits of public data resources from the community and recommendations of public data resources that ICPSR itself might add to DataLumos.

For mapping software users, the GIS vendor publishes a number of U.S. Census Bureau data sets, including the ACS, through its ArcGIS Online Platform.

Free, open source data, including some demographic data. Short for Federal Reserve Economic Data, FRED is an online database consisting of hundreds of thousands of economic data time series from scores of national, international, public, and private sources. Created and maintained by the Research Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

Contains 46 demographic, energy, health, and housing indicators down to the tract-level with free access for community-based organizations; others require a subscription. Greenlink Equity Map (GEM).

IPUMS provides census and survey data from around the world integrated across time and space. IPUMS integration and documentation makes it easy to study change, conduct comparative research, merge information across data types, and analyze individuals within family and community contexts. Data and services available free of charge.

Web-based online data and mapping application that provides access to thousands of indicators related to demographics, housing, crime, mortgages, health, jobs and more. Offers a free tier that can be used to view basic information down to the tract-level, but more detailed data and functionality requires a subscription. Purged Federal Agency Data Available: https://policymap.wpengine.com/blog/purged-federal-agency-data-available.

Data on demographics, consumers, real estate, housing, employment, crime, health, and more. Data includes Nielsen Scarborough local insights and crosstabs, AGS Census, Claritas PRIZM consumer segment, MRI Simmons consumer survey data, consumer expenditures and buying power, as well as public data sources such as the US Census, American Community Survey, FBI uniform crime reports, NOAA climate data, and CDC health data.