Spotlight on Business Reference - Part 4

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Mercifully, today we conclude our four part look into the world that is Business Reference.  

4)  Who is my customer, where are they, and what do they do?

The final area of the core four - consumer/statistical information - can be summed up by the term demographics.  This also encompasses business statistics, consumer research, marketing and advertising.


Demographics and Statistics

DemographicsNow (online database)  The number one place to go for demographics and statistics.  The database is fairly easy to use - choose a geographic limiter (or limiters - you can compare up to 16 different locations) and then choose a report package to create - that's it, and you're done.  Besides the standard geographic descriptions, you can also compare locations by drive time or custom radii.
DemographicsNow Tutorial


University of Michigan's Government Documents Center (Web)  A wonderful site full of statistics, divided into categories like Agriculture, Business & Industry, Foreign Trade, Education,
Statistical Abstract (Web)  is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States.  We also have the print version located on the ready reference shelf.
U.S. Census Bureau:  Statistics of U.S. Businesses (Web)  that provides national and state-level data on numbers of businesses and employees, broken out by industry.
Sourcebook of ZIP Code Demographics (304.6)  the 23rd edition has statistical information - including households, income, race and income - organized by ZIP and by state. 
Statistical Yearbook  (310.58)  We no longer receive this title (last rec'd. 2006), but it contains international production statistics; may be consulted for historical data.
Demographic Yearbook  (312.025)  Same as above.
Florida Statistical Abstract (317.59)  Similar to the Federal version, but with a limited to state of Florida statistics; kept at the ready reference shelf.
Quality of Life Progress Report (317.5912)  This JCCI publication should not be overlooked, as it contains some local demographic and statistical information.
The CRB Commodity Yearbook (338.973)  Contains industrial production statistics by commodity type (aluminum, coffee, hogs, tobacco, etc.).  No longer received, so should be consulted for historical data only.


Marketing & Advertising


SRDS Newspaper Advertising Source (338.4)  The various guides provide media rates and related data for advertisers, and lists rates, editorial content and circulation statistics for a variety of media which are selling space.
SRDS Consumer Media Advertising Source (659.1)
SRDS Business Media Advertising Source (659.132058)
LexisNexis Advertising Red Books (659.1058)
nota bene - these items were formally housed on the Investment Resources shelf, but have been returned to their respective Dewey areas.

5a) [unofficially]  I want to start a business.

I need help with my current business.

What part of core four do you not understand?  

Obviously, the core four is only a general guideline, as we do get questions about anything (as Call Center veterans are reminded hourly).  With that in mind, I'd add another area that we are asked about quite often:  information about small businesses and entrepreneurship.

This is an area that we just don't have a lot of resources in Reference for - at least of the print variety.  The 658 area had some dated and incomplete sets, and so has been largely purged.  That is not to say that other sources - such as statistics and marketing information - cannot help those seeking small business help, but most customers should be directed to our NF resources and databases regarding entrepreneurship.

Probably the best bet will be the Small Business Resource Center (SBRC) and the previously mentioned DemographicsNow.  SBRC is great because it contains the electronic version of Gale's Encyclopedia of Business Plans (one of the aforementioned incomplete sets that was removed), which lets customers see actual business plans from real companies.  Another great feature are the quick link buttons, which take customers to browseable lists of frequently asked about small business topics, types of businesses, business plans and important "how to's" regarding entrepreneurship.  A fifth quick link takes customers out of SBRC and into Gale's Legal Forms Database.  A keyword search for "small business" yields over 230 business-related legal forms. 
SBRC Tutorial
Legal Forms Tutorial

And though not located in Reference, we have a tremendous amount of materials in the Non-Fiction collection  (primarily Dewey 658) that can be checked out by customers.  **And if you're taking anyone to that area, be sure to point out the SBA Program fliers on display [658.022 shelf] when workshops are scheduled (usually in April and October, though we may add more if there is a demand).**

5b)  Hey, I'm at the desk, and I'm still not comfortable using the resources.

Finally, we also have books designed specifically for staff, helping guide us through the myriad business and investing reference resources.  Besides the following three titles, I'm working on getting a few ALA guides for librarians ordered too.

Guides to Business/Investing Information

Strauss's Handbook of Business Information (016.33)  Section One covers business information and its various modes of availability (directories, periodicals, loose-leaf, etc.); Section Two looks at specific topics, including finance, marketing, investment and insurance.
Source:  The Complete Guide to Investment Information (332.603)  This guide explains how key investment ratios (P/E, yield, etc.) are calculated, explains warrants & options, and mutual funds.  With a publication date of 1999 it is dated, but can be a source for understanding what sort of data customers are looking for and how they might use it.
Industry Research Using the Economic Census (338.0973)  Designed to be a handbook for the Economic Census mentioned in the post about industry information, Industry Research explains Census concepts and methods, and helps users located data.

That's all folks.  Hopefully this series has helped you to have a little better understanding of the basic business reference questions that are asked, and where to go for the answers.  For more information about the core four - or business reference in general - I highly recommend Celia Ross' Business Reference 101 class (via RUSA) the next time it is offered.

As always, comments and suggestions are welcome.  Feel free to stop by anytime to chat about these and other topics - my cubicle has no door (at least I have a window).  

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Spotlight on Business Reference - Part 3

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Enough about industries and NAICS and SIC codes.  Let's talk stocks and bonds!

3)  How can I find out more about company x's stock?

Investing information is sought after regularly by our customers, both in-person and in the Call Center.  Though most of the information needed is of the current variety (or even the future, as is the case with options contracts), historical data is sometimes needed too, when estates or amended tax returns are concerned.  Most of our resources on this topic are housed in the Investment Resources shelf near the current periodicals, though searching online is sometimes the most efficient option.

Business & Company Resource Center's Financial Tab contains a wealth of information that would be helpful to a customer doing investment research.  For a given company, you can find income statement, balance sheet, cash flow and investment ratio information on an annual or interim basis, from current back to the last six periods.  The Financials Dashboard tab contains current stock prices and charts, along with important news stories affecting the company.  BCRC Tutorial (Financial Tab)
LexisNexis Library Express (online database)  also has a stock chart and brief financial data on its snapshot page in company profiles.  Search by company name or ticker symbol in Get Company Info.
Google Finance (Web)  This is a useful site for getting current or historical stock prices, and especially for finding a particular company's option chain.  Visit the wayback machine to review finding option chain information in Google Finance.
Big Charts (Web)  Bought by MarketWatch, Big Charts is still a good place to find current and historical stock prices also, though the option chain information is a bit more cumbersome than Google Finance.
Bondsonline.com(Web)  Though not asked for as often as stocks, bond information - corporate, municipal and treasuries - can be found at this website.
Morningstar Mutual Funds (Investment Resources)  Long considered the top source of mutual fund ratings and information.  Funds are rated on a five-star rating system (5 is the highest) in a variety of areas.
Value Line Investment Survey (Investment Resources)  The individual stock counterpart of the Morningstar Ratings, the Value Line Investment Survey rates stocks on a scale of 1 to 3 (one is highest) on timeliness, safety and technical factors.  Each week's report focuses on stocks from a particular segment (ex.- pharmaceutical stocks) and gives a brief overview and outlook for that industry, followed by the individual reports in alphabetical order.
Value Line Mutual Fund Survey (Investment Resources)
S & P's Stock Reports (Investment Resources)  Published semi-monthly, the Stock Reports offer detailed reports on almost 2,000 publicly-traded companies.  Features include an overview with business description & product commentary, income statements & balance sheet, dividend and stock price range.  More current data can be found online, and the Value Line Investment Survey has more timely ratings.
S & P's Stock Guide (Investment Resources)  This is offers more comprehensive (7,000 companies) coverage, less detailed look at stocks, including dividend yield, brief balance sheet, market capitalization (price x outstanding shares), last five annual earnings statistics, P/E (price to earnings ratio) and stock price.
S & P's Bond Guide (Investment Resources)  Similar to the Stock Guide, except with bonds.  Lists corporate bonds' balance sheet information, price range, yield and rating.
Bond Tables of Probable Future Returns (332.6323)  An evaluation tool for investors, Bond Tables provides information as to the mathematical likelihood of a bond's future price direction for specific probabilities.
Wall Street Journal (microfilm & online database)  The WSJ can also be used to determine prices of stocks on various dates.


Obscure & Obsolete Stocks

National Quotation Service (Investment Resources)  Also known as the "pink sheets," these pink-colored volumes contain stock pricing information for "penny stocks," or those smaller capitalization companies that are not offered on the major markets (NYSE, AMEX) but are instead listed over-the-counter via dealers.  We are no longer receiving this title, but it can be consulted for historical prices.

Robert D. Fisher Manual of Valuable and Worthless Securities (332.632)  This multi-volume set includes information on over 750,000 companies that "have been reorganized, merged, liquidated, dissolved, or which have forfeited their charters for failure to pay taxes, etc."  Covers companies from the mid-1920s to early 1940s; not used that often, but in case it is, you'll know where to look.

Stock Values and Dividends for (date) Purposes (332.6322) Holdings include 1965 to 1996.  This is historical data that can be used for finding stock prices & dividend information for the close of business of the previous year (ex. - the 1996 edition contains prices as of close of business 1995)

Walker's Manual of Unlisted Stocks (332.6322) and Walker's Manual of Penny Stocks (332.63223) can be used for historical data on tiny, low-priced, small-cap stocks.

Directory of Obsolete Securities (332.67)  This source can be used by investors who are trying to identify old stock certificates (often inherited), with details such as former company names, mergers and final action making it obsolete (example - "each share Common $1 par exchanged for $4.20 cash).

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Spotlight on Business Reference - Part 2

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Yesterday we talked about finding company information.  Let's take a look at industry information.

2)  "I'm looking for information on x industry".

The databases are a good place to start here, but we also have print sources and government web sites that also have lots of industry information and analysis too, so keep that in mind.

Industry Information

Business & Company Resource Center (online database)  mentioned above, but it's worth pointing out that you can perform searches by industry, with a built-in NAICS and SIC code lookup feature.  It's sources include the electronic versions of Gale's Encyclopedia of Global Industries, Encyclopedia of Emerging Industries and Encyclopedia of American Industries, among others.  

Gale Power Search (online database) Includes full-text coverage (1983-current) to Industry Week, and much more.  Simply perform a publication search using the keyword industry to find industry-specific journal titles (Beverage Industry, Farm Industry News, etc.).

U.S. Census Bureau:  Current Industrial Reports (Web)  Find data on production and shipments of selected manufactured products as reported by the Manufacturing, Mining and Construction Statistics division of the Census. 

Bizstats  (Web)  This is a free site that has business ratios for various industries.  This is a good alternative for the RMA Annual Statement Studies (the bible for business ratios - our copy is dated and may be put back on standing order).  For more information on business ratios, click HERE.

Encyclopedia of Global Industries (338.003)  The 3 Gale Encyclopedias of ...Industries are included in the Business & Company Resource Center, but it's good to know where the print versions are located.

Encyclopedia of Emerging Industries (338.003)  Covers new industries, such as Blogging, Digital Mapping and Extreme Sports.

Hoover's Handbook of Industry Profiles (338.03)  Over 300 industries are covered; profiles include industry overview, competitive landscape and products, operations and technology sections.

Encyclopedia of American Industries (338.097303)  Detailed reports covering every industry included in the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system.

S & P Industry Surveys (Investment Resources shelf)  Formerly, these came in smaller, industry-specific reports.  Now, the Industry Surveys are two large volumes that arrive monthly.  Included with each report is a current environment survey, industry profile, industry trends and comparative analysis.

Tomorrow, we're on to investment information sources.
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Spotlight on Business Reference - Part 1

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A customer has entered the Reference department, spies the Ask Here desk, and makes their way over to ask you a question - a business reference question.

What do you do?

Exactly.  Pretend like you didn't hear them, avoid eye contact and hope that they wander over to Fiction or something.

Unfortunately, they'll probably still be standing there when you finally look up again.  And most likely, they will have asked you a question that roughly falls into one of four categories, known throughout the business reference industry as the Core Four.

The Core Four consists of

1. Company Information
2. Industry Information
3. Investing/Financial Information 
4. Statistical/Consumer Information

Now I don't know about everyone else, but sometimes when I think about our business resources in reference, I get a little overwhelmed.  Sure, there are only a few things in 658, but unfortunately the topic is spread around a bit more than that, covering several Dewey areas (338 - Economics - Production, 380s - Commerce and 658 - General Management).  Knowing all of that and keeping the Core Four in mind, I set about to organize our resources* by type so that I could have a better understanding of what we have, what it's for and where it's located.  And just maybe, you'll find this information helpful too.

1)  "I need information on company x".

Of course, "company information" could mean many different things, but generally speaking, this is a request for basic information that is usually found in a profile - contact info., executives, overview, etc. - and can be found in most business directories.

Business Directories (International, National, State, Local & Chamber of Commerce)

International Directories

Business & Company Resource Center (Online Database)  Contains thousands of company profiles (worldwide), global business intelligence reports and corporate parent/sibling relationships.

LexisNexis Library Express (Online Database)  Covering 43 million companies, LexisNexis' Company Dossier and Company Profiles modules provide company information and customizable company lists.

Thomas Register (Web)  Great for "who makes what" questions, especially when the company in question is a manufacturer or distributor.  Covers the United States and Canada, and can be filtered by state/province.

Hoover's (Web)  To get all of what Hoover's has to offer, you must be a subscriber.  However, a good deal of company information can be gleaned from the free section too.  Mostly national, but does contain international companies.

Hoover's Handbook of World Business (338.74025)  Includes company profiles of over 300 of the most influential global enterprises.
International Directory of Company Histories (338.7409)  Lots of worldwide companies are listed, giving detailed company information, including corporate history.  This source is also included in the Business & Company Resource Center.
LexisNexis Corporate Affiliations (338.802573)  Our copy is now dated, and its content should be covered in LexisNexis Library Express database; could be consulted if the electricity is out.
D & B Principal International Business (380.1025)  This is "a world marketing directory presenting up-to-date information on approximately 50,000 leading enterprises throughout the world."  Organized by geography, industry classification and alphabetically.

National Directories

Business & Company Resource Center (Online Database)  See above section.

LexisNexis Library Express (Online Database)

Thomas Register (Web)

Hoover's (Web)

Hoover's Masterlist of US Companies (338)  Like Corporate Affiliations listed above, this is a good source that unfortunately we own an older edition of.  Includes both public and private companies, but until we can get an updated volume, try other sources.
Hoover's Handbook of Private Companies (338.7402573)  Sometimes difficult to find, this volume contains information on private companies, mutuals and cooperatives, not-for-profits, joint ventures, partnerships, universities, government-owned corporations and other organizations (Texas Lottery Commission, etc.)
D & B Million Dollar Directory (338.740973)  Contains information on top companies (public and private) meeting the following criteria:  a) more than 180 employees at single location (900 if company is a branch); and b) greater than $9,000,000 in sales volume.  The first 3 volumes are arranged by business name alphabetically, while the last two volumes are organized by geography and SIC codes.
D & B Directory of Service Companies (338.761)  Focuses on companies that are specifically based in the service industry (as opposed to manufacturing), as defined by the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes 70-81, 83, 87 and 89.
LexisNexis Corporate Affiliations (338.802573)  see section above.
S & P's Register of Corporations (339.058)  Covers over 70,000 corporations, with an emphasis on personnel information, with the names and titles of over 400,000 executives and over 70,000 biographical sketches of upper management.  Volume 1 is arranged alphabetically by company name, and Volume 2 contains an alphabetical listing of officers and executives by name.  Also includes 6 indices.
American Wholesalers & Distributors Directory (381.2029473)  Like D & B's Directory of Service Companies, this niche directory focuses on a segment of business, this time wholesalers and distributors.  Includes small and large, public and private companies (nearly 29,000).
Headquarters USA (384.602573)  Contains listings for over 113,000 businesses located in the U.S.  Important note - sometimes toll-free numbers for companies are hard to come by, but this set contains over 45,000 listings with such numbers.  Organized alphabetically by both name and subject.
Brands and Their Companies (602.750973)  This is a great source when you're trying to find company information when you only have a brand or product name.  For example, someone trying to "contact Kleenex" really needs to speak with someone at the Kimberly-Clark corporation.  Over 350,000 consumer brands are included.  The first volume contains the brands by alphabet, while companies are listed alphabetically in volume 2.  ** The Business and Company Resource Center can also be used to search by product (advanced search).

Florida Directories


Florida Business Directory
Harris Florida Manufacturers Directory (338.00294759)  One volume arranged by geography, SIC code,  alphabetically by business name, by product and includes an all-in-one index.  Companies listed alphabetically in the geographic section have a sequential number (G-xxxx) which is then used for cross-referencing in the other sections.

Jacksonville/Regional Directories


D & B Regional Business Directory (338.74025759)  Includes company information for the Jacksonville/Orlando region.  UPDATE - CANCELLED AS OF MARCH 2011

Other


World Chamber of Commerce Directory (381.06)  As the name implies, if you're looking for a chamber of commerce somewhere on this planet, use this.

That's it for the first of the core four.  Look for the next exciting installment soon.


*This is meant to be an overview - not an comprehensive survey of our collection - and a place to start your own review of business materials.


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Google Art Project

The Google Art Project is a pretty cool site.  Well-known works of over 400 artists in museums worldwide have been photographed with super high resolution cameras, allowing users to zoom in to the brushwork level to view details not normally seen by looking at a picture of the painting in a book.   I haven't had a chance to explore it too much yet, but it might prove to be a useful tool in our art reference kit.  Check it out.

More information about the project from the Google Blog

Here is a behind-the-scenes look at how the site was created:

New Items in Reference - 2/12/2011

America's Top Rated Cities:  A Statistical Handbook, 2010, 7th ed. (307.76) is a "concise, statistical, 4-volume work identifying America's top-rated cities with populations over 100,000."  Each volume features one of four geographic regions (South, Central, West, and East), and provide a narrative background, rankings, statistical tables and appendices (more lists, tables and rankings).

Almanac of Architecture & Design, 2011, 12th ed. (720.05) contains architecture and design firms' directory information, company profiles & rankings, award winners and a chapter on green design.  Includes indexes by name and site.

UNF's Small Business Development Center

Yesterday, Mark and I were able to visit with the staff of the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the University of North Florida (UNF).  Our goals were to learn a little bit more about what they are all about, and to also share with them the types of business-related resources and services that we offer here at JPL.

We were pleasantly surprised to learn that they already have a fair knowledge of our holdings, and in fact refer clients to the Library often (unless their clients are students, they are unable to use the library at UNF so JPL is a great option).  They were also very intrigued by our databases, in particular the Small Business Resource Center and DemographicsNow, which they think can be helpful to them and also to recommend to their clients.

The SBDC is funded by the Small Business Administration (SBA), and receives support from UNF and private organizations as well.  In addition to the UNF location they have offices in downtown Jacksonville, in Gainesville and Ocala, and serve 18 counties in the region (this is where our e-card comes in handy).  The staff is comprised of certified business analysts who offer workshops (both face-to-face and webinars) and counseling services, including business plan assistance and reviewing strategic business processes with potential and existing entrepreneurs.  And even though their focus is primarily on for-profit businesses, they also offer workshops for non-profit organizations.

SBDC director Janice Donaldson welcomes referrals for their services, so this is an organization that we should keep in mind when dealing with customers who are looking to start a business, or need help with their existing operation.  Please note that while counseling services are free, most of the workshops that they offer are fee-based.