Voice of Technology

June 2004

Library Resources for the Technology Community

Whether exploring marketing strategies, refining management techniques or seeking capital, tech company managers can find a wealth of resources at the Fairfax County Public Library.   The Library offers thousands of dollars worth of the most current business intelligence free to Library card owners.  Its staff librarians, specialists in information retrieval, can help you find the facts you need through online subscription databases; guides to business Internet resources; and specialized print resources and directories.

Find Industry and Company Information

Visit the Library’s Website at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library to find emerging industry trends; company profiles and rankings; brand information; investment reports; management articles; and much more from these subscription databases:

∙          Business and Company Resource Center (INFOTRAC Gale Group)

Offers a comprehensive database with information and periodical articles on over 300,000 companies.

∙          ABI/INFORM Global and ProQuest Newspapers (ProQuest Direct)

Provides extensive national and international business and management news.  Searches 1,000 business periodicals, for information on advertising, marketing, economics, human resources, finance, taxation, computers and more. ProQuest Newspapers provides access to national newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.

∙          Business Source Elite (EBSCOhost)

Provides local and global business news with full-text articles for more than 1,000 trade journals covering business, management, economics, finance, banking, accounting and much more.

●          Regional Business News (EBSCOhost)

Incorporates 75 business journals, newspapers and newswires covering all metropolitan and rural areas within the United States.

●          ReferenceUSA (in-Library only)

Provides a directory of detailed information on more than 12 million U.S. businesses; 102 million U.S. residents; 683,000 U.S. health care providers; 1 million Canadian businesses; and 11 million Canadian residents.

●          StatUSA (in-Library only)

Provides economic, business, and international trade information produced by the U.S. Government.  Produced by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Navigate Free Web Resources

Explore Web links selected by the Library’s information specialists to information on annual reports and other SEC filings, company information, company lists and yellow pages, company news, local companies and strategies for locating company information online, as well as small business and investment resources.  Some of the most useful sites include:

∙      Hoover’s Online

Profiles of over 10,000 firms searchable by name, ticker, location, or industry.  Provides information on individual companies, and a means of identifying companies of a particular size, nationality and line of business. Also a source of links to corporate Web sites.

∙     Thomas Register of American Manufacturers

A large database of U.S. and Canadian companies and their products. The site includes a link to the Thomas Regional Directory, a comprehensive database of industrial products and services available in the local area.  Both sites require registration.

● CEO Express

A desktop tool designed as the executive’s interface with the Internet.  Offers information on company research, international business, banking and finance, SEC statistics and more.

● bizjournals.com

            Local business news and information from weekly business newspapers in 20 American cities. Among those included is Washington Business Journal.

Check Out a Wealth of Directories

Many business directories or other resources are not available online or cost money to access.  Useful print resources directories and resources available at many Library branches include:

∙        The Book of Lists

∙        Business Plans Handbook

∙        D & B’s Million Dollar Directory

∙        D & B’s Regional Business Directory: Washington DC/Baltimore Area

∙        Pratt’s Guide to Venture Capital Sources

∙        LexisNexis Corporate Affiliations

∙        Small Business Sourcebook

If you are seeking a hard-to-find technology industry data, our information specialists may be able to assist you.   Call your nearest branch; phone numbers are on the Library’s Web site.  In addition, you can e-mail queries using the Library’s Ask A Librarian e-reference service. 

The Library also offers a customized MicroLibrary service for training events.  We can bring books on a specific topic to your workplace, as well as introduce employees to the Library’s online business periodical databases.  For more information on the MicroLibrary, call MaryAnn Sheehan at 703-324-8343.

For free business and industry research queries, the Fairfax County Public Library should be your first stop!