America's Most Literate Cities

[zakur]

http://www.uww.edu/cities/This study, compiled in summer 2003, pieces together a literacy profile of America's 64 largest cities, drawing from U.S. Census data, newspaper circulation rates, library resources, publishers and other public documents.

The study, authored by University of Wisonsin-Whitewater Chancellor and education Professor Jack Miller, draws on statistics from five categories and 13 different measures of literacy to provide a ranking for all cities with a population of 250,000 or more.

[LibraryFox]

Unfortunately, Professor Miller's study has distinct flaws in it's design. For instance, his booksellers index is weighted in favor of American Bookseller's Association memebers with no explination of why these booksellers are rated more highly than non-members. Additionally, we see that there is no consideration for volume of books sold, or other factors that indicate the number of books being purchased. A million volume store, capable of delivering you the book you need now, versus a tiny specialty seller is not differentiated. His other catagories show a smilar tendency to use easy to obtain data, instead of more relevant data that might take some time to gather.

-Library Fox

[ManfredVonRichthoffen]

I went to the University of Cincinnati. If I read this right, then that means I am the tenth most literate guy in the country.

[zakur]

Originally posted by ManfredVonRichthoffen
I went to the University of Cincinnati. If I read this right, then that means I am the tenth most literate guy in the country. I went to UC for one semester. At nights I could hear gunshots from my dorm room (Calhoun Hall). That neighborhood is all about literacy. ;)

[ManfredVonRichthoffen]

Originally posted by zakur
I went to UC for one semester. At nights I could hear gunshots from my dorm room (Calhoun Hall). That neighborhood is all about literacy. ;) Ha! I was on the eigth floor of that hellhole for a whole year. I "worked" in the building for a couple of years as well. There was the best coffee shop across the street.

[Michael Redman]

This reminds me of the list of fattest cities that included analysis of a bunch of information that conspicuously omitted anyone's actual weight. Houston is the "fattest" city because people eat out a lot. Kind of silly.

[arcticpenguin]

Originally posted by LibraryFox
Additionally, we see that there is no consideration for volume of books sold, or other factors that indicate the number of books being purchased.
I know of a surplus store that used to sell books by the pound.

Axe-man in St. Paul, MN.

[ManfredVonRichthoffen]

Originally posted by Michael Redman
This reminds me of the list of fattest cities that included analysis of a bunch of information that conspicuously omitted anyone's actual weight. Houston is the "fattest" city because people eat out a lot. Kind of silly. Cincinatti is always named as one of the fattest cities as well. I guess fat people just sit around and read.

[cbish]

Where's Vegas?

My town is definitely one of the stupidest around. I always judge the intellegence of a community by it's Letters to the Editors.

Here, enjoy some these intellectual nuggets:

www.theunion.com (http://)