Community Assessment Resources

This guide was designed for students doing the Nursing Community Assessment project.  The resources on this guide deal primarily with communities in New York State.  New York City and  Westchester County are particularly emphasized.  In addition to the resources listed here, the public library in your community can be an excellent source of information.  For information on locating a public library, see the section below on Libraries.

NOTE: The external links on this page will open another browser window.

Contents

General Information

Before you begin your search for information on your community, you will want to consider some basic questions.  Specifically:

How will you define your community geographically?  Are you researching a city, a town, a village, or some other type of location?  If you choose to investigate an area in New York City, you may want to look at a particular Community District (What is a Community District?).  You should be aware that not all information is available for all geographic entities.  In some cases, you may need to substitute county or state information for community information.

What levels of government have jurisdiction over your community?  Most of the information that you will be using is collected by government agencies.  Although some information is collected by the federal (United States) government, you will need to use state and local government information as well.  Early in your research, you should identify relevant government entities and locate their Websites.

Return to Contents

Population

Most of your data on population, including Age Distribution and Race Distribution, should come from the United States Government's 2000 Census of Population and Housing.  You have several options for accessing this data, including:

For County-, State- and Community-level information, try the following sources:

New York State Statistical Yearbook
Ref HA544.A2 2003

A comprehensive statistical profile of New York State and its counties and cities.  Section A deals with population and vital statistics.  Published annually, the most recent edition is generally on reserve at each library. Also accessible online through the Rockefeller Institute Web site at http://www.nysstatistics.org/.

Profiles of General Demographic Characteristics: New York
Birnbaum Ref HA541.5 2000

Based on the 2000 Census, this compilation of New York State data provides, population, age distribution, race and household information for the state as a whole, and for counties, Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), and Census Designated Places (CDPs; i.e. towns and villages).

State, County and Local Government Websites

State and local governments often post relevant Census data on their Websites. 

• New York State Data Center http://www.empire.state.ny.us/nysdc/
• New York City http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/census/popdiv.shtml; this is your best source if your community is an NYC Community District.
  • This site also has a District Profiles page that gives access to the profiles of the 59 community district which now include lists of Selected Facilities and Program Sites, including public and private schools, parks, public safety, health, mental health and other social service facilities in addition to summaries of land use and demographic data.
• Westchester County http://www.westchestergov.com/planning/research/Census2000/census2000SF3.htm.

For Census Tract-level information (What is a Census Tract?), you will need to use data from the Census Bureau itself.  Try the following:

American FactFinder
http://factfinder.census.gov/

This tool from the Census Bureau allows you to find Census data by entering a street address.  To do this:

1. Click on "Enter a Street Address" on the left-hand side of your screen.
2. Enter a street address in your community.  There are likely to be several Census Tracts in your community, so the data you retrieve will apply to the area immediately surrounding your chosen address.
3. You will see a list of geographies containing your address.  Choose "Census Tract" from within the box of your results and click on the blue "Go" button.
4. Scroll down to see a list of maps and tables dealing with your tract.  Look for the table titled "Profile of General Demographic Characteristics" for age and race distribution.

Infoshare Database (Click here for information on how to access the Infoshare database)

In order to find Census Tract-level information in this database, you must know the number of the Census Tract you are interested in.

1. Click on "Profile an Area" from the main menu.
2. Select "Census Tract" as your Area Type and click GO.
3. Select your County from the pull down menu and then select your Census Tract and click GO.
4. Choose "2000 Census" as your Data File, and then select the tables that you want ("Race", "Population by Age")

Social Explorer
http://www.socialexplorer.com/pub/maps/home.aspx

You can use this site to find information and MAPS on your census tract, county and state.
1. Click on the link for Census Tracts.
2. Click on the find button on the top of the map.
3. Type in your address and click Find.
4. If your address comes up in the box, click OK at the bottom of the box and your map will come up. If your address does not come up, try another address.
5. To see a report of the data, click on the report button at the top of the map. It will ask you to select an area by drawing a circle or selecting points on the map. Follow the directions and you will receive a report of the area you outlined, the county, and the state.
6. To change the type of data, use the drop down menu at the top of the box on the right.

To find the Population Density (usually given as number of persons per square mile of land area) for your community:

For County and State information, go to the U.S. Census Bureau's Website (http://www.census.gov/) and look for "State and County Quick Facts" on the right-hand side of the screen.

1. Use the pull-down menu to select "New York" and click on the blue "Go!" link.
2. You will now see a table of data for New York State.  Scroll down to the "Geography Quick Facts" at the bottom of the page to see "Persons per Square Mile, 2000."
3. To view the same data for your county, go to the top of the page and use the pull-down menu given to select a county in New York.

Detailed local population density information was scheduled for release in 2003, and is not yet available for all areas on the Census Bureau's Website.  While you may not find the population density of your Census Tract, you may be able to find data on your Community in other places:

If your community is one of New York City's five boroughs, see the 2000 Census Demographic Tables on the New York Department of City Planning Website (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/census/popcd.html).  Note that Census Tract-level data is available for New York City (see Table PL-4B).  Also be aware the population density information is given as persons per acre rather than persons per square mile.

If your community is in Westchester County, you can find its population density in the Westchester County Databook 2001 (Mortola Ref Desk F127.W5 D37 2001, or on the Web at http://www.westchestergov.com/planning/research/default.htm).

If your community is elsewhere, check the county and/or local Website of your community.

To find information on the Population Changes in your community over the past 10 years, you will need to compare data from the 2000 Census to data from the 1990 Census.

To find information on population changes in your Community, County, and State, go to the New York Data Center Population and Housing Center website (http://www.nylovesbiz.com/nysdc/data_population.asp) and click on "1990 Census Profiles.".  Compare the information you just got from the 2000 census with the information in the "Population Households, Families, and Land Area" table.  If you are researching a New York City Community District, see the "District Profiles" on the NYC Department of City Planning Reference Website (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/subcats/resources.html).

To find population change data for your Census Tract, use the library database Infoshare.

1. Choose "Profile an Area" from the main menu.
2. Select "Census Tract" as your Area Type.
3. Select your County followed by your Census Tract.
4. Choose "1990 Census" as your Data File, and then select "Population, Families, Households" as your table.  The data may or may not be available; if the table you generate is empty, the data is unavailable.

Return to Contents

Vital Statistics

Unlike population data, vital statistics are collected at the state level.  To find information on Live Births and General Deaths in your community:

Vital Statistics of New York State    http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/vr/mainvs.htm

The New York State Department of Health Website includes birth and death data for the state as a whole, and for each county.  If you are researching a city, town, or village with more than 15,000 population, see the "City and Village Profiles" (Table 53).  The most recent data available is from 1999, though local agencies figures may be more recent.

 

Summary of Vital Statistics, The City of New York http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/vs/vs.shtml

Annual summary published by the Department of Health of New York City.  Find birth and death data for the city as a whole, or for a specific community district.

Infoshare Database (Click here for information on how to access the Infoshare database)

To find data on births and deaths in this database:

1. Choose "Profile an Area" from the main menu.
2. Choose either "State", "County", "Zip Code", "City", "Village", or "Town" as your Area Type and click GO.
3. Select your community using the lists provided.
4. Click in the circle next to "Health" in the list of Data files above the boxes.
5. Select "Births" or "Deaths" (subselection: "Total Deaths") and specify a year to see the data.

Because the Census Bureau does not collect vital statistics, you are unlikely to find birth and death data broken down by Census Tract.

Return to Contents

Community Health

You can often find general information on Community Health on your community's Health Department Web site.  If you are researching a neighborhood in New York City, try:

New York City Community Health Atlas 2002
http://www.uhfnyc.org/pubs-stories3220/pubs-stories.htm (search for "atlas")

Statistical summaries of each of New York City's 41 neighborhoods from the United Hospital Fund of New York City. Free, but you will need to register.

 

New York City Community Health Profiles
http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/data/data.shtml

You may find information by zip code or by general area. Statistical information is from 2000 or later and each link results in a .pdf file of a document published by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. You will find information about the major causes of death here.

Information on Communicable Diseases must be reported to local health departments.   Statistics on communicable diseases at the State and County levels are available through the New York State Department of Health Website at http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/research/disease/disease.htm.  See especially the "Communicable Disease in New York State Annual Reports".

For information on Non-Communicable Diseases, you will also want to check the State Health Department's Website, though you will need to look at the areas devoted to specific diseases for State and (sometimes) County data.  Since there are no reporting requirements for non-communicable diseases, the data may or may not be available.  See especially the following areas:

Asthma Information
http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/asthma/index.htm

New York State Cancer Registry
http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/cancer/nyscr/nyscr.htm

Diabetes in New York State
http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/consumer/diabetes/resdiab.htm

Heart Disease Statistics
http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/heart/heart_disease.htm

Like other vital statistics, information on Leading Causes of Death is collected by state health departments.  Census Tract-level data is most likely unavailable.

To find information on deaths and death rates by selected causes by State and by County, see the tables that are available on the "Vital Statistics of New York State" page (http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/vital_statistics/index.htm).

You may be able to find leading causes of death in your Community on local government Web sites.  New York City, for example, publishes cause of death information for the city as a whole, and for various community districts, in the "Vital Statistics Summary" (http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/vs/vs.shtml).  If your local government does not provide cause of death data, try the Infoshare Database.  Follow the above instructions, but instead of "Total Deaths", choose "Cause of Death".

Return to Contents

Income and Employment

Information on Income and Employment is primarily collected by the federal government, though you may find it on state and local government Websites, or in other general sources as well.

To find current information on Employment Distribution in your community, use the U.S. Department of Labor's "Local Area Unemployment Statistics" Web site (http://www.bls.gov/lau/).

Here you can find State, County and Metropolitan Area data by clicking on the link to "Tables and Maps Created by BLS".  Scroll down to select the appropriate table for your needs.

You can also create your own tables from this site by clicking on "Get Detailed LAUS Statistics" at the top of the page. There are links to instructions as well as links to create one screen or multiple screen customized tables.

To find the Leading Industries in your community, go to the U.S. Census Bureau's "County Business Patterns" page at http://www.census.gov/epcd/cbp/view/cbpview.html.  Choose to " View County, State, U.S., ZIP, or MSA Database on a NAICS Basis".  This will allow you to view major industries in your State, County, Metropolitan Area or Zip Code by their NAICS code (What is a NAICS code?)

If you are researching a community in Westchester County, you can find information about individual employers on the County's Website. Go to the Planning Department's main research page (http://www.westchestergov.com/planning/research/default.htm) and click on "Major Employers by Municipality".

Family Income statistics from the 2000 Census have not yet been released, so the information that you find in this category will most likely be from the 1990 Census.

To find income information for a State, County, or Community, Use the Census Bureau's "American FactFinder" (http://factfinder.census.gov/). Try the following:

1. From the "Basic Facts" page and box, select "Income and Poverty" from the pull down menu to access the data set.
2. Select the appropriate area from the pull down menu labeled"for." 
3. Continue to select from the menus that pop up until you have chosen the geographic area you are interested in.
4. Click on the "Go" button to see the data table you have selected.

You can find the same information in the Infoshare Database :

1. Choose "Profile an Area" from the main menu.
2. Select "Census Tract" as your Area Type.
3. Select your County followed by your Census Tract.
4. Choose "2000 Census" as your Data File, and then click in the circle next to "Income" from the list of table options.
5. Choose "Family Income in 1999" to see your data table.

Return to Contents

Education

Information about the Educational Facilities in your community can most likely be found in your local telephone directory, or using the following sources:

National Public School and School District Locators
http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/

Provided by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, this feature allows you to search for public school and district information using a community name or street address.

IPEDS College Opportunities On-Line
http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cool/

Find all types of post-secondary institutions in your community using this search tool from the National Center for Educational Statistics.

New York City Department of Education
http://www.nycenet.edu/

Click on "Districts and Schools" to see school information by district or to locate schools by zip code or street address.

Westchester County Databook 2001
Mortola Ref Desk F127.W5 D37 2001, or on the Web at http://www.westchestergov.com/planning/research/default.htm

Contains information about all kinds of schools in Westchester County and its communities.  Information about child care is also given, though individual facilities are not named.

Westchester County Education
http://www.co.westchester.ny.us/ed/

Provides school district information as well as private school and post-secondary school listings for Westchester County.

For information on preschools or on educational programs provided by social service agencies, see the section below on Social and Community Services.

Information on the Educational Level of people in the United States is collected by the U.S. Census Bureau.  Census 2000 figures for individual localities have not yet been released, so you will likely need to rely on 1990 Census data.  To find this, try one of the following:

American FactFinder
http://factfinder.census.gov/

1. Click on People from the menu on the left of the page.
2. Type in a location to narrow your data set. To view the data for a State, just select the state from the pull down menu.
3. Scroll down to select the appropriate table from the options in the Education section.

Infoshare Database (Click here for information on how to access the Infoshare database)

1. Choose "Profile an Area" from the main menu.
2. Choose either "State", "County", "City", "Village", "Town" or "Census Tract" as your Area Type.
3. Select your community using the lists provided.
4. Choose "2000 Census" as your Data File.
5. Select "School" as your Table by clicking in the circle.
6. Select "Educational Attainment 25+ Years by Sex" as your item, and scroll down to see the resulting table.

Return to Contents

Housing

Information on Housing Conditions is collected as part of the Census of Population and Housing.  To find out the total number of housing units in your community, and the vacancy and owner-occupancy rates, try the following:

American FactFinder
http://factfinder.census.gov/

1. Select Housing from the left side of the page.
2. Narrow your search by completing the part of the geography table.
3. Scroll down to find the appropriate table with your data such as "Total Housing Units...."

Infoshare Database (Click here for information on how to access the Infoshare database)

1. Choose "Profile an Area" from the main menu.
2. Choose either "State", "County", "City", "Village", "Town" or "Census Tract" as your Area Type.
3. Select your community using the lists provided.
4. Choose "2000 Census" as your Data File.
5. Select "Housing" as your Table by clicking in the circle.
6. Select "Housing Units" as your item, and scroll down to see the resulting table.  Repeat this step for "Vacancy Status" and "Occupancy Status".

New York City Housing and Neighborhood Information System
http://www.nychanis.com
Find information on housing and other neighborhood or area information for New York City. Free, but you must create an account.

To find information on Provisions for the Homeless, see the section below on Social and Community Services.  Information on various types of federal Housing Subsidies is available through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (http://www.hud.gov).  To find out about programs in the New York area (New York City and surrounding counties), see especially the section of the Website devoted to the local community (http://www.hud.gov/local/index.cfm?state=ny).  

Local government housing agencies may also offer information on housing subsidies and services for the homeless.  Be sure to check relevant Websites for information on programs provided by state and local government.  Examples include:

New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal
http://www.dhcr.state.ny.us

New York City Department of Homeless Services
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dhs/

New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development
http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/

Westchester County Department of Social Services, Housing/Homeless Office
http://www.westchestergov.com/social/Housing/Househome.htm

Return to Contents

Sanitation

Sanitation services in your community may be a responsibility shared by several government agencies.  In the case of recycling or solid waste disposal, these services may even be contracted out to private haulers.  Check your local government Website for information on how sanitation services are handled locally.  Pay particular attention to local health, environmental, and sanitation departments.  Occasionally housing or building agencies are involved in vector control, so you may want to consult these as well.  The following Websites may be helpful:

New York City Department of Environmental Protection
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/

The Department of Environmental Protection is responsible for the city's water supply and wastewater treatment, and for air, noise and hazardous materials.

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/

See "Health Topics A to Z" for information on vector control, or for information on vector-borne illnesses like West Nile Virus.

New York City Department of Sanitation
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dsny/html/home/home.shtml

See the Department of Sanitation's site for information on recycling and solid waste disposal.

Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities
http://www.westchestergov.com/envfacil/

This county agency is responsible for water supply protection, wastewater treatment and for overseeing recycling and solid waste disposal in Westchester.

Return to Contents

Political Systems and Issues

To find out who represents your community at different levels of government, go to Project Vote Smart (http://www.vote-smart.org/index.htm) or the League of Women Voters' Take Action page (http://takeaction.lwv.org/lwv/dbq/officials/).  Both sites allow you to look up your elected officials using your zip code.  You can find other information on the Political Organization of your community on state and local government Websites.  These often provide citizens' guides, organizational charts, and detailed agency descriptions.  See the section above on Finding State and Local Government Websites if you have trouble locating relevant Websites for your community.

To find information on Voter Registration and Political Party Affiliation, try the following:

New York State Board of Elections
http://www.elections.state.ny.us/

Click on the tab to go to the "Statistics" area to find voter and enrollment and political party affiliation information by county, assembly, or senate, or congressional district.

Vote NYC
http://vote.nyc.ny.us/

The New York City Board of Elections Website provides information on voter enrollment and election turnout by county.  See the "Voter Enrollment Totals".

Voting and Registration Data, U.S. Census Bureau
http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/voting.html

Information on voter registration is collected by the U.S. Census Bureau as a part of the Current Population Survey.  To find out what percentage of the eligible population is registered to vote, see the "Detailed Tables" from the November 2002 Election (this information is only available at the national and state levels).

To find information on the Political Issues facing your community, your best source will likely be the local news media.  Local newspaper sources available through the Pace University Library include:

Lexis-Nexis Universe Library Database

Full-text news database with articles dating back to 1980.  Some local sources are included.  To access them, select "News", then "U.S. News", then "Northeast Regional Sources" once you have entered the database.

Westchester Newspaper Index Library Database

Click on "Newspaper Index" from the Westchester Library System's main catalog page to access this index of local news articles dating back to 1991. Full text is not available.

Local newspaper Websites, such as the Journal News (Westchester) (http://www.nyjournalnews.com/), the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/), the New York Post (http://www.nypost.com/), and the New York Daily News (http://www.nydailynews.com/) may also be useful, although most online archives do not date back as far as the Library's subscription databases.  

Return to Contents

Religion

The most effective way to find out what churches, mosques and synagogues serve your community is to consult the local telephone directory for that community.  Try the yellow pages under the heading "Churches".  If you are unable to locate a copy of your community's yellow pages, you may want to try a Web-based version such as Yahoo! Yellow Pages (http://yp.yahoo.com), Verizon SuperPages (http://www.superpages.com/) or DartPages.com (http://www.dartpages.com/).  Bear in mind that these tend to be less comprehensive than printed versions.

You might also find churches listed in community service directories (see the section below on Community Services), or on community Web pages.  To find these, try entering the name of your community into a general Web search engine such as Google (http://www.google.com).

The American Religion Data Archive
http://www.thearda.com/
Click on the link for Interactive Maps and Reports on the right side of the page to create a map or report for your particular state or county. this site includes both 1990 and 2000 and the percent change between the years. Westchester County data from can be found at http://www.thearda.com/FR_Index.html?/RCMS/2000/County/36119.htm.

Return to Contents

Transportation

The New York State Department of Transportation (http://www.dot.state.ny.us/index.html) oversees highways and public transportation statewide.  For information about public mass transit, see the NYSDOT's Aviation, Public Transit, Bicycles and Pedestrians.  Their Public Transportation page provides a directory of transit operators and links to related Websites.  Also try the following local Websites:

Metropolitan Transportation Authority
http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/

Provides information on bus and subway service in New York City, as well as Long Island Rail and Bus Service, and Metro-North Rail Service.

New York City Department of Transportation
http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/dot/home.html

This agency maintains city streets, operates the Staten Island Ferry, and oversees private bus operators.  See the "Mass Transit" section for information on Bus, Ferry, and Train routes.

Westchester County Department of Transportation
http://www.westchestergov.com/transportation/

The Westchester County Department of Transportation manages the Bee-line Bus Service and the Westchester County Airport, and manages specialized transportation for people with disabilities.

Return to Contents

Health Services and Health Education

Information on Health Services and Health Education in your community may be provided by government, non-profit or educational organizations.  To find out about the activities of non-profit organizations, try the directories listed below in the Social and Community Services section.  The following health care sources may also prove useful:

AHA Guide to the Health Care Field
Birnbaum Ref; Mortola Ref Desk RA977 .A1 A46

Divided by state and then by county, this guide lists hospitals registered by the American Hospital Association and osteopathic hospitals registered by the American Osteopathic Association.

Health and Healthcare in the United States: County and Metro Area Data
Birnbaum Ref Reserve; Mortola Ref Desk RA407.3 .H415

Includes data on the number and type of health facilities serving U.S. counties and metropolitan areas.

NOAH: New York Online Access to Health
http://www.noah-health.org

See "Health Topics" for consumer health and health care information.

You might also want to see if government health departments provide health services and health education.  Consult the appropriate site for your community:

New York State Department of Health
http://www.health.state.ny.us/

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/doh/home.html

Westchester County Department of Health
http://www.co.westchester.ny.us/health/

For information about the Health Education activities of the schools in your community, you may need to contact the local school district.  You might also find useful information on the district's Website:

Curriculum, Instruction and Instructional Technology, New York State Education Department
http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/

See "Health, Physical Education and Family and Consumer Sciences" for information on state health education standards.

New York City Board of Education Health Education and Family Living
http://www.nycenet.edu/Offices/TeachLearn/OfficeCurriculumProfessionalDevelopment/
HealthEducation/default.htm

To find information on a district other than New York City, consult that district's Website.  To find school district Websites, try the U.S. Department of Education's National Public School and School District Locators (http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/).

Return to Contents

Recreational Facilities

Parks and Recreational Facilities may be private or public.  To find private facilities, try the local yellow pages or an online directory (see the suggestions above under "Religion").  To find publicly-operated facilities in your community, check the local Parks and Recreation Department.  Most cities, towns and villages have such a department.  You may also want to check to see if the county or the state operates facilities in your community.  Try the following Websites:

New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
http://www.nysparks.com/

City of New York Department of Park and Recreation
http://www.nycgovparks.org/index.php

Westchester Department of Parks, Recreation & Conservation
http://westchestergov.com/parks/

Return to Contents

Social and Community Services

Services to your community may be provided by government or non-profit agencies.  To find out about government services, see the Westchester Department of Social Services Website (http://www.westchestergov.com/social/) or, for New York City Information, go to the City's Website (http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/) and click on the "Residents" link.  If your community is in New York City, you might also want to consult the Public Advocate's Website (http://www.pubadvocate.nyc.gov/) for social service information, and the Mayor's Management Report (http://nyc.gov/html/ops/html/mmr/mmr.shtml) to find out how city agencies are performing.  To find out about other types of community service agencies, try the following:

CARES Database
http://www.unitedwaynyc.org/?id=65

The United Way of New York City's database of community and social services, available online.  Coverage focuses on New York City, but the surrounding area is also included.  Search by program, borough (or county), zip code, target group or language.

Community Information Service (CIS)
http://www.nypl.org/branch/services/cis.html

The New York Public Library's database of community service organizations and groups in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Look for the Directory of Community Services database that now has links for an English and a Spanish version.

National Directory of Children, Youth & Families Services
Birnbaum Ref Reserve; Mortola Ref HV741 .N3157

Directory of state and local level services for children and families in the areas of social and health services, education, juvenile justice and special services.

New York City: A Basic Guide to Services and Community Resources
Birnbaum Ref HV99.N59 N58 2000

A topically-arranged guide to basic community services available in New York City.

Return to Contents

Libraries

Library Services in New York State are overseen by the New York State Library, which is part of the New York State Education Department.  To find the public, academic and research libraries serving your community, go to the New York State Library home page (http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/), and click on "Find Your Public Library."  Specific library systems that may be of interest include:

Westchester Library System
http://www.wls.lib.ny.us/

Westchester Academic Libraries
http://www.waldolib.org/index.html

Mid-Hudson Library System
http://midhudson.org/

Metropolitan New York Library Council
http://www.metro.org/

New York Public Library (Manhattan, Bronx, Staten Island)
http://www.nypl.org/

Queens Library
http://www.queenslibrary.org/

Brooklyn Public Library
http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/

Return to Contents

Public Safety

Police Protection in your community may be provided by several police departments simultaneously.  To find information about these various departments, try the following:

New York Division of State Police
http://www.troopers.state.ny.us/

See "Troop Information" in the "Contact Us" section for information on personnel in various areas of the state, or link to your local police department.  If you do not find your local department listed here, you might find police department information on the city/village/town's main Website.

Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/

Find out about federal law enforcement activity and access state and local data.  Use the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) feature to find information on the structure and operations of state and local law enforcement agencies.

Return to Contents

Emergency Services

Information on Fire and Emergency Services may be available on your community's local government Website.  See the section above on Finding State and Local Government Websites if you have trouble locating one for your community.

If your community is in Westchester County, visit the County's Department of Emergency Services Website (http://www.westchestergov.com/emergserv/).  Here you can find information on the County's role in service provision relative to the role of the local departments, and links to local departments themselves.

Be aware that local department Websites may or may not give information on operations or personnel.  You may need to contact the department directly.

Information on Emergency Management Plans may be found at different levels of government and through different agencies. The Department of Homeland Security has a new website at http://www.ready.gov with tips for families and part of the site targets children's roles in the planning..

New York State Emergency Management Office (SEMO) (http://www.nysemo.state.ny.us/)

New York City's Office of Emergency Management (http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/)

Westchester County's Office of Emergency Management (http://www.westchestergov.com/emergserv/oem.htm)

American Red Cross (http://www.redcross.org)
Westchester County Red Cross (http://westchestercounty.redcross.org/)

To identify Environmental Safety Agencies serving your community, try looking at the following government agency Websites:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/

The "Where You Live" section of this site allows you to search for environmental information about your community be zip code.  You can also link to the regional EPA office serving your area (Region 2 serves New York and New Jersey).

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
http://www.dec.state.ny.us/

Discusses state-level environmental protection and waste management activities and provides links to regional offices.

Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities
http://www.co.westchester.ny.us/envfacil/

Westchester County's environmental protection agency.  Also look at your local government's Website to see whether local government is involved in environmental protection.

New York City Department of Environmental Protection
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/home.html

Describes the activities of New York City's environmental safety agency.

Return to Contents

Citing Your Sources

Once you have found your information, you will need to cite your sources using APA format.  For information on APA citation format, see the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (Birnbaum Ref. Reserve, Mortola Ref. Desk, Mortola Ref. BF76.7 .A46 2001).  Additional information about citing resources is available on the Library's "How to Cite Resources" page at http://www.pace.edu/library/pages/instruct/citing.html.

Still Need Help? Ask a Librarian!

Subject Research Guides | Research Help | Library Home