The LOC has a digital collection entitled "Selected Datasets." This collection hosts a wide variety of datasets, including both textual and numeric. Each item in this collection is compressed into a zip file containing the data, as well as related files.  

Many of the items are relatively large and messy spreadsheets that would require students to employ data literacy skills to make sense of the information presented. The messiness of the data provides a space for student inquiry. Each dataset presents multiple variables that can lead students to develop testable questions. These questions can potentially be answered by analyzing the data and creating visualizations. Some questions developed by the students may require additional research and others may not have an "answer." That is the beauty of some messy data!  

The files in this album are XLS files, but you can open them in spreadsheet programs other than Excel, including Google Sheets. If you would like to access a CSV file, you can download the compressed zip file from the LOC item page (reference is included for each of the files).