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Welcome!
Welcome to the HDFS 287Y: Intercultural Community Building guide! Please explore the links below to conduct local research on the City of Reading and Berks County.
Adapted from Pagoda (Reading, Pennsylvania) by FirozAnsari via Wikimedia commons under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Demographic Information
- U. S. Census BureauSee the QuickFacts box (middle of Census.gov page) > search Pennsylvania, Berks County, Reading, PA or zip code
- American FactFinderA resource from the U.S. Census Bureau to search population data on the national, state, and local levels.
- Opportunity Atlas - U.S. Census Bureau Center for Economic StudiesMaps adults' economic outcomes based on the census tracts they lived in as children. Variables include adult earnings and incarceration rates and children's neighborhoods, parental characteristics, and more.
- Social Explorer This link opens in a new windowMapping database that allows you to visually explore demographic data
News Sources
Local News Sources
- The Reading EagleSearch the Reading Eagle newspaper through the Access World News database. **The Reading Eagle is included from 12/2006 to the present.
- WFMZ - Berks Regional NewsRegional TV news & more
- BCTV - Berks Community TelevisionFor cultural information check out the "Arts and Entertainment" section of the Special Reports tab
Hispanic News Sources
- Hispanic Center of Reading and Berks Reading"The mission of the Hispanic Center is to support and enhance the acculturation of the Latino population in the Greater Reading area."
- El Palo Magazine"bilingual Spanish/English magazine serving the Greater Reading area."
- Berks County Latino Chamber of CommerceExcellent news source for Latino economic issues.
Historical Information
- A brief history of ReadingFrom the City of Reading's website
- Berks History CenterLearn about Berks County's history through their museum, library, and multimedia resources!
- Digital Public Library of AmericaHistoric photos & other artifacts about Reading, PA
- Library of CongressHistoric photos & other archival materials of Reading, PA
Government Resources
- Berks County Official WebsiteBerks County's official website
- Berks County 2010 Census DataCensus data on the Berks & City of Reading population. Check out the "American Community Survey" for educational attainment, poverty stats, and more.
- City of Reading Official WebsiteClick under "Government" for city council minutes that might record discussions on your topic.
- City of Reading Open Data PlatformA treasure chest of statistics about Reading schools, economic development, and more.
Google search tips:
Use Google's site command to search specific websites and domains.
- Search only government websites use site:.gov
- Search only Berks County's website use site:co.berks.pa.us
- Search only City of Reading's website use site:readingpa.gov