Developing and Using a Community Databank

ABSTRACT

The idea of having community data available at the push of a computer key has been a dream of many community planners and activists. With today's powerful and easy-to-use database software, databank development by most community practitioners is possible. Unfortunately, little standard advice has been developed on the complexities involved when developing and maintaining a community databank. This article presents several years of experience by a small community planning agency in developing, maintaining, and using a community databank on addictions. It discusses the development process and the details of data collection, programming, and distribution. Current use and the databank's future are also presented along with lessons learned. Our experiences can help others to be more realistic when planning and developing community databanks.

Key Words:

• Community information systems
• databanks
• social indicators