Lauris Olson
Librarian & Coordinator, Social Sciences Collections
As the Penn Libraries' social sciences bibliographer - now coordinator for social sciences collections - since 1998, Lauris is responsible for selecting books, journals, electronic resources, and other media supporting Penn research and instruction in sociology, economics, linguistics, criminology, communication, and related fields. Lauris is Penn's Official Representative to the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research and the contact person for the Penn Libraries' Pennsylvania State Data Center affiliate membership. Lauris coordinates collection development and management activities of subject librarians for anthropology & archaeology, business, education, gender, women's studies & sexuality, political science & international relations, psychology, and social policy & practice/social work. Lauris is also the Penn Libraries' African studies bibliographer. Lauris started at the Penn Libraries in 1991 as a Van Pelt Library reference librarian, but Lauris's presence at Penn began in 1975 as an undergraduate, earning BA and MA degrees in Anthropology here, alongside a Drexel library degree.
The C2ER Regional Economic Data Toolkit includes the Cost of Living Index Calculator and three databases on U.S. state business and economic development programs.
C2ER's COLI has been the most consistent source of city-to-city cost comparisons quarterly for decades. Covering more than 250 U.S. cities, the COLI Calculator presents latest-quarter cost-of-living and price comparisons. MS Excel dataset downloads provide quarterly and annual cost-of-living indexes and prices for 76 goods and services, 1990 to the present.
The C2ER Regional Economic Data Toolkit offers three additional tools to explore U.S. state-level economic development and economic diversity:
State Business Incentives Database tracks more than 1,800 business incentive program offerings by U.S. state governments. Records identify the program's administering agency and report details on the program's objectives and benefits, application and eligibility requirements, fiscal information, and statutory background. The SBID may be searched by program subject, program type, business needs addressed, program industry, and geographic focus.
State Economic Development Program Expenditures Database compiles government spending on improving business conditions in each U.S. state, 2007 to the present (updated biannually). Expenditures are grouped into broad functions : business finance, strategic business attraction fund, business assistance, international trade and investment, recruitment (domestic/out-of-state), workforce preparation and development, technology transfer, entrepreneurial development. Detailed state-level reports identify expenditures by specific program.
Diversity Index uses employment numbers for industries and occupation along with county demographic and economic indicators to compare economic diversity across U.S. counties. The database reports in industry diversity, function diversity, occupation diversity, and knowledge cluster diversity. It also identifies the five most similar U.S. counties based to the county being examined.
The C2ER Regional Economic Data Toolkit is produced by the Council for Community and Economic Research, a membership organization promoting excellence in community and economic development.
The C2ER Regional Economic Data Toolkit includes the Cost of Living Index Calculator and three databases on U.S. state business and economic development programs. C2ER's COLI has been the most consistent source of city-to-city cost comparisons quarterly for decades.