There is more to life than Wikipedia.  Did you know that your library card gives you access to a number of encylopedias? Consider using the Encyclopædia Britannica Online when conducting your research.

Updated every two weeks, this resource offers a number of great tools for research such as:

• World Data Analyst
  Quick and easy facts, statistics and comparisons of the countries of the world
  
• This Day in History
  Find out what important events and who was born on any given day.
• Spotlights
  In-depth coverage on a specific topic, with articles and media handpicked by Britannica editors.
  
• Biographies
  Select Browse > Biographies
  Browse content by Topic, National/Cultural Association, Era, Gender, and Name.
  
• Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary
  Contains 225,000 entries, including more than 10,000 new words and definitions
  

Ever needed a table of leading bottled water companies? Maybe you want a ranking of cracker brands by sales?  Or perhaps you’ve wondered about the top 10 breakfast foods?  Well, you can find these and similar rankings via TableBase.

Providing statistical data on over 90 industries, TableBase can help you find company/brand rankings, market share information, consumption statistics, and demographic data.

When conducting a search, try selecting “Advanced Search” and choose from among the many drop-down categories.

Learn more about TableBase.

Economist Historical Archive 1843-2006

The Economist Historical Archive delivers a complete, searchable copy of every issue of The Economist from 1843 to 2006.

Financial Times History Archive 1888-2006

The Financial Times Historical Archive delivers the complete searchable run of the Financial Times from 1888-2009.

Gale Directory Library

The Gale Directory Library includes titles such as Business Rankings Annual, Consultants and Consulting Organizations, Directories in Print, Encyclopedia of Associations, Market Share Reporter, National Directory of Nonprofit Organizations, Ward’s Business Directory, and more.

Vocations and Career Collection

Offering content from nearly 400 journals, you’ll find articles on topics such as job hunting, career guidance, and  higher education.

At the Kirstein Library, patrons often ask if we have any test preparation material.  The answer is, “We sure do!”

Electronic Resource
Formerly known as LearnATest, the LearningExpress Library offers a nice selection of practice exams for the GED, College Prep, MTEL, Citizenship and more.

Jobs & Careers
For those needing to prepare for licensing or certification in their given field, you’ll find interactive practice exams for the Civil Service, Culinary Arts, Law Enforcement, Nursing, Plumbing, and Real Estate among others.

Job Search and Workplace Skills
Brush up on your Business Writing skills with one of their eCourses, or download an eBook on a topic such as Resume Writing, Social Networking for Career Success, or Public Speaking.

Circulating Test Prep/Study Collection
We also have many circulating test prep materials available for check out.  Speak with a Reference Librarian for further assistance or search our catalog for availability.

Sample Resources:  MTEL, Nursing Assistant, Civil Service, Armed Services (ASVAB)

We’re glad to hear the passengers aboard the Carnival Triumph are back on land.  Cruising is big business.  Did you know that the cruise line industry generated more than $40 billion in total economic activity to the US economy in 2011, creating 350,000 jobs, and that 20 million global passengers went on a cruise in 2011?  Check out market research, issues, and statistical reports  from the Cruise Lines International Association.

For additional information on the cruise industry, the BPL has a number of resources to help you learn even more:

• Deep Sea Passenger Transportion industry overview from Business Insights: Essentials
• Search by cruise company name for financials and competitor data using Mergent
• Search for industry trade publication news with General Business File ASAP (Gale Group)
• Print titles from our catalog
• eBooks
• e-Journal titles

Try running an Advanced Search when using this product.  Below is a sample result when searching on the Concept Term “Market Share” and the Industry “Beverage”:

For additional information on this product: http://www.gale.cengage.com/pdf/facts/table.pdf

Try using our Biography in Context electronic resource if you are looking for background information on your favorite business leader.  This resource covers biographies on over 525,000 individuals.  Biographical information is culled from various news, magazine, and reference resources.  For some profiles, you will also find additional links to  images, audio, and video content.

Some of the product’s sample profiles:

• Jeffrey Bezos
• Warren Buffet
• Marth Stewart
• Stephen Wynn

If you’d like to learn more about Biography in Context check out the following video tutorial:

Want to read back issues of the Boston Globe but their paywall is getting you down? 

BPL cardholders can search current and prior issues of the Boston Globe back to 1980 using our Proquest Electronic Resource.

Quick Tip:
To search just the Business, Metro, or  Opinion sections, enter one of the following in the Proquest search box:

• sec(business)
• sec(metro)
• sec(editorialopinion)

Additional Boston Globe Electronic Resources:

• Boston Globe (1872-1922) via Access Newspaper Archive
• Boston Globe (1872-1981) via Proquest (No Remote Access, In Library Use Only)

But we have to the tools to help you here at the Kirstein Business Library.  Business Insights: Essentials provides industry insights and statistics to help you with your questions.

Some key feature include:

• SWOT Reports
• Company histories
• Financial data
• Market share reports
• Industry information
• Relevant news articles
• Customizable charts and graphs
• and so much more!

You can use this tool remotely so you can stay home as the weather gets colder. Use your library card to log in and explore Business Insights: Essentials.

Click here to begin research or check out Apple and Samsung’s company profiles.

For more information about NFL demographics, statistics, reports, and articles, check out the Sports Business Research Network.

SBRnet is one-stop access to multiple resources on professional sports, college sports, social media, sporting goods, and so much more, including:

• Industry-developed Market Research
• Government Statistics
• Facility Reports and News
• International Market Publications
• Customized Research
• Directories

Learn more about NFL fans and more using SBRnet. Image courtesy of SBRnet

Come on down to your local branch to try it out!