About the Kirstein Business Library
Louis Kirstein
The Kirstein Business Branch opened on May 7, 1930. Funding for the founding of the branch was donated by Louis Kirstein, a Vice President of Filene’s Dept. Store and Trustee of the Boston Public Library. The Branch was formally named the Edward Kirstein Memorial Library in honor of Louis’ father.
Kirstein was the first public business library in the U.S.to be built as a gift of a businessman and the second library in the country to be built specifically as a public business library. At the time, libraries in about 70 cities in the United States were providing business reference services but only about a dozen had separate business branches. Since 1930, Kirstein has stayed at the forefront of library service for business-related materials.
The Kirstein Business Library offers career and job hunting information, entrepreneurial resources, assistance to investors, and maintains a variety of business directories and industry statistics. Within the Kirstein Business Library, the Thomas R. Drey, Jr. Investment Center – named after a generous retired teacher who researched investing at Kirstein – offers up-to-date materials for those seeking information on how to invest wisely.
Thomas R. Drey, Jr.
Kirstein Business Library Resources:
- Programming, workshops and classes in the areas of strategic job search, small business development, personal finance and economic literacy.
- Free computer use and Internet access for business researchers and job seekers
- Résumé development assistance and job bank searches
- National, local, regional, and international business directories in print and online
- Investment advisory services & newsletters
- Tax info, including tax basis & historical stock prices & stock dividends
- Industry information, ratios, and analysis
- Small business start-up material & a strong career collection
- 100+ business and trade periodical titles
- Economic, demographic, consumer & financial statistics
- More specific details about our resources