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Fall River Public Library |
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Library Business Services
The Fall River Public Library has wireless access, public internet and word processing computers, a resume-writing program, and fax and scanner service. Computer use and wireless access are free, but there is a charge for printing, faxing and scanning.
Library Print Resources
The Fall River Public Library has a large business reference collection, including magazines, books and directories. Reference materials may be used in-library only. Some frequently used reference works include weekly or monthly publications like Value Line, Banker & Tradesman, Barron’s and Fortune. Helpful books include Best’s Key Rating Guide, Brands and Their Companies, Dun & Bradstreet Million Dollar Directory, Lexis Nexis Corporate Affiliations, Small Business Sourcebook, Standard & Poor’s Register and Business Forms on File .
Library print resources may be searched at home through the SAILS catalog, accessible in the library or at home. If a book you want isn’t available at this library, you can reserve it using your SAILS card, and it will be delivered, usually within one week. If an item doesn’t appear in the SAILS catalog, try the Virtual Catalog to search for items all over Massachusetts, in both public and academic libraries. Materials not available in-state can be requested through ILL (interlibrary loan).
Library Online Resources
If you live in Massachusetts and have a SAILS library card, you can access the public library's Online Resources 24/7, free from your home or school computer. You can use any SAILS library card to access most of these services outside the library. A few of the resources are limited to Fall River Public Library cardholders only.
The Magazines/Reference section includes the Business Economics and Theory collection, Insurance & Liability collection, Small Business collection, and many other specialized and general-interest magazines, newspapers, and reference works.
Morningstar investment reports are no longer being published in print, but the library has access to the online version.
Use this link to access Morningstar from a computer within the library.
Use this link to access Morningstar at home. You will need a library card to log in.
For Fall River Public Library members, Atomic Training offers free online courses in computer software and technology, including email, social media, Word, Excel, Photoshop, and many more.
More Specialized Resources
You may need to go beyond the typical public library collection for some specialized business, industry and demographic research resources. University libraries, in a university that offers a business major, generally have a good variety of books, periodicals and online business databases. UMass Dartmouth has some excellent business databases, including Mintel and Mergent, which may be used in the library by Massachusetts residents. These resources are not available remotely except to student cardholders.
Boston Public Library also has a good selection of business resources, and many of these can be accessed from your home computer. You will need to apply for a special Boston Public Library e-card, which you can do online. This process is free and takes less than a minute.
General Online Resources:
ALA Best of the Best Business Web Sites
A quick guide to web sites that business reference librarians have voted the best. They are arranged in categories, such as advertising and marketing, e-commerce and small business.
From the Internet Public Library: a comprehensive guide to web
resources, with helpful links in many categories, from business plans to
statistical data.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
The United States Department of Labor is an official government web site and the best source for statistics on employment, wages, productivity and technology. It includes the Occupational Outlook Handbook for career guidance.
Well-established company information site. A more detailed version is available by subscription (or through the UMass Dartmouth Library) but the free online edition gives basic information for most large companies, including stock symbol, corporate headquarters, sales, growth, key executives, number of employees and industry profile.
A comprehensive resource for industrial information, products, services, CAD drawings, and more. Find manufacturers, distributors and service providers.
A lot of data to wade through, but the most comprehensive demographic information can be found here. The EasyStats page helps break the information down into commonly used tables.
General Search Tip: Power Googling
When you Google, maximize your results by using “quotations” around specific phrases or names to narrow your search; use the + sign to link terms in a single site, limit to trustworthy .edu or .gov sites by using the Advanced Search function, and try Google Scholar for full-text, peer-reviewed articles.
© by the Fall River Public Library. Last updated March 15, 2013