Kirstein Business Library & Innovation Center (KBLIC) Resources
Stay Connected:
Questions about any of these resources? Email us at businessref@bpl.org or call 617.536.5400 and ask for the Kirstein Business Library. Please note that some of these resources may be unavailable at this time, due to the pandemic.

Are you a budding entrepreneur or small business owner? Then KBLIC is the place for you! Enjoy a space for networking and small business meetings. Use our print and electronic resources to research your industry, find customers, and better understand how to market your business. Put the power of the BPL to work for you, ask one of our skilled librarians to connect you with a local mentor or small business professional to help guide you to entrepreneurial success.
Small Business Connections:
- SCORE Boston will begin offering limited in-person mentoring starting in January. Book a Small Business Mentoring Session.
- Access one-on-one peer-to-peer guidance from SCORE Boston volunteers
- Get a free legal services consultation from a Goodwin Pro Bono Attorney
- Attend a Grow with Google Small Business workshop
- Attend an upcoming Tech Goes Home Small Business Series course
- Get virtual guidance about how you can use our resources to help your small business with our Small Business Virtual Drop-ins
Online Resource Tools for Small Business Success:
- Review sample business plans with the Gale Virtual Reference Library
- Write a business plan step-by-step with Gale's Plan Builder
- Find customers with AtoZdatabases
- Research your competitors and research industry trends with Mergent Intellect
- Analyze market demand and find demography data with DemographicsNow
- Find company and industry information as well as market analyses for emerging markets with EMIS Intelligence
- Find grants and fundraising resources with Foundation Directory Online Professional
- Locate trade & industry periodicals with Gale Business Entrepreneurship
- Create personalized legal documents specific to your business and location with LawDepot
- Check out our extensive collection of small business startup ebooks and audiobooks
Guides for Small Business Success
- Learn about business opportunities in the music industry with our Music Business guide
- Get an overview of intellectual property and ways to search for patents and trademarks with our Intellectual Property guide
- Find these resources and more by visiting our online Business Plans Research Guide
Attend Small Business Workshops & Events:
KBLIC is here to help you learn how to manage your money, make sure you have enough saved for retirement, and invest it well.
Book a Bloomberg Session to learn more about investing.
Take advantage of the personal finance and investing resources of the Thomas S. Drey Investing Center. This dedicated space within KBLIC offers a selection of print and digital materials to help you build a better budget, learn about investing, and help you plan a successful retirement.
Managing Your Money Action Plan:
- KBLIC has teamed up with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to offer a free tax preparation drop-off service on Wednesdays, 4-7 pm. Please note, drop-offs must be booked ahead using our booking calendar.
- Meet with a MassEdCO Education & Career Planning Center advisor. MassEdCO assists students with applying for financial aid, searching for scholarships, and identifying career options.
- Use JVS Boston to help you take control of your finances through financial coaching and education and free tax prep help
- Screen and find analysis on mutual funds with Morningstar Investment Research Center
- Research companies and follow stock market data with our Bloomberg terminal (unavailable during closure)
- Book a Bloomberg Session to learn more about investing
- Review the City of Boston's Financial Empowerment website to find reliable financial products and services to help you save, grow, and access money.
- Find these resources and more on our Managing Your Money Research Guide
Financial Education:
- Financial Education for Adults:Â Find out how well you are doing financially, and steps you can take to improve
- MyMoney.gov: Helps you find federal government-supported research and data to help with your financial education
- If you think your employer is not paying you what you are owed, learn more about wage theft and what you can do
- Kirstein also has booklists to help you learn about investing, budgeting, credit, and more.
Attend Personal Finance & Investor Resources Workshops & Events:
Do you have and an invention you’d like to patent, or a logo you want to find out how to trademark? Take advantage of the resources available to you from our Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC). KBLIC is part of a nationwide network of public, state, and academic libraries designated by the United States Patent Office (USPTO) to support the public with trademark and patent assistance. Our space has trained staff to help guide you through the Intellectual Property process.
Resource Tools for Inventors’ Success:
- Get a free legal services consultation from a Goodwin Pro Bono Attorney (the last Thursday of every month)
- Book time on our dedicated patent computer (not available during closure)
- Access to resources such as patent examiner-based search systems PubEAST and PubWEST
- Receive guidance on the patent application process and fee schedule
- Review materials to assist you in researching Patents, Trademarks, & Copyrights
- Email us to book a 1-on-1 Patent & Trademark Reference Appointment
- Find these resources and more on our Intellectual Property Research Guide
Attend Patent & Trademark Resource Center Workshops & Events
KBLIC offers a suite of resources to help nonprofits and individuals find grant money for their projects.
Key Funding Your Project Resources:
- Search for grants from foundations with our Foundation Directory Online Resource
- Search over 16,810,000 grants, 136,500 foundations, and 1,009,000 recipients
- Use Foundation Maps to see funding opportunities visually.
- Find scholarships, fellowships and awards for students, artists, and researchers with Grants to Individuals Online
- Email us to schedule a concierge search
- Take a nonprofit essentials webinar training via LinkedIn Learning
Attend Grant Seeking & Philanthropy Workshops & Events
- Sign up for our Adult Learning Newsletter for upcoming events
You can submit a reference request for business research, and someone will get back to you soon.
Check out our Business Research Guides and Business Databases.
Upcoming KBLIC Classes
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Jan31
Personal Budgeting: Presented by the City of Boston Credit…
Jan 31st | 11:00am - 12:00pm -
Feb1
Free Tax Preparation (Drop-Off & Remote Only)
Feb 1st | 4:00pm - 7:30pm -
Feb1
QuickBooks: Intro, Set Up, and Problem Solving
Feb 1st | 6:00pm - 7:30pm -
Feb2
Career Coaching: Interview Workshop Part 4 - Why Should We…
Feb 2nd | 6:00pm - 7:30pmOnline Event -
Feb8
QuickBooks: Intro, Set Up, and Problem Solving
Feb 8th | 10:00am - 11:30am
Innovation Center Resources
KBLIC’s Innovation Center is an inspiring space where patrons can learn, bring their imagination to life, and take their creative pursuits to the next level. Learn graphic design using software tools including Adobe Creative Cloud, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Break out of 2D design with our 3D printer and computer aided design software. Podcasters, filmmakers, and musicians, record audio and video in our InnoLAB.Â
Key Innovation Center Resources:
- Access Adobe Creative Cloud Software
- Book time in our InnoLAB, a private space for your podcasting, video editing, green screening, or music creation needs
- Design and build prototypes with our 3D Printer
- Make music with our Oxygen 60 Keyboard
- Borrow a camcorder or camera for your next video project
Find these resources and more with our Research Guides:
InnoLAB: Our Bookable Creative Workspace
- Software: Adobe Creative Cloud, Final Cut Pro, Ableton Live, Logic Pro, Protools, Reason, Trapcode Particular
- Available Hardware: Camcorder, Keyboard, Headphones, Mics
- Green Screen Wall