Data Through Dayton Metro Library's Databases

Author: Rachelle Miller

February 2008

Growing businesses often lack the financial resources, skills, and time needed to obtain information about important business topics such as business planning, marketing, and financing. Finding this type of information can be difficult, but staff at Dayton Metro Library has acquired both online and print materials to make it easier for businesses in our community to succeed.

Assistance available at Dayton Metro Library includes business-specific databases easily accessed from home or office using the internet and a library card; a collection of business books and audiobooks (including downloadable print and audio books); monthly business programming; and research assistance provided by our business specialist.

Among the most used services of the Library’s website is the group of more than 70 commercially available databases licensed by the Library for use by its staff and the public. These authoritative sources include business financial and competitive data, full text magazines articles from thousands of journals, and other content available at the library’s website. More than 1.5 million full-text articles were downloaded in 2006. Go to www.daytonmetrolibrary.org, click on Reference Desk, then click on One Search to see a list of databases.

A few of the more popular databases are:

• Business Source Premier—over 3,000 full-text scholarly journals and business periodicals covering management, economics, finance, accounting, computing etc. More than 200 of the journals have PDF full-text back to 1965 or the first issue published. These journals are typically available online BEFORE they are mailed to subscribers. Full-text periodicals include everything from “Computer Graphics World” to “Newsweek.” Other journals of interest are “PC Magazine,” “PC World,” “Information Today,” and many, many more.
• Dayton Daily News—full-text articles back to 1990 with many search options.
• EBSCOhost Research Databases—a powerful collection of databases covering a multitude of subjects. From the search screen you can choose with database you want to search. Options are MasterFILE Premier, Computer Source, MAS Ultra School Edition, MEDLINE, and Newspaper Source.
• eLibrary—contains national and international newspapers, books, more than 1,400 magazines, and transcripts from ABC, CBS, CNN, NPR and more. Some magazines are “Computer World,” “InformationWeek,” “Internet World,” “Biotech Week,” “Technology Review,” “Machine Design,” “The Futurist,” “The Economist,” “Scientific American,” “US News & World Report,” “Time,” “Business Week”… you get the idea!
• Newsbank National Newspapers—Complete full-text content of local and regional news. Some of the available newspapers include: Cincinnati Enquirer, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Chicago Tribune. Available news magazines include Time, Life, Business 2.0, and FSB Fortune Small Business. (Or check out Entertainment Weekly, People, or Sports Illustrated on your break!)
• Reference USA—Covers over 14 million companies and is searchable by SIC or NAICS code, line of business, geography, sales and more. This is a great resource for creating customers lists or researching the competition. For example, you can create a list of all businesses in a certain geographic area that have more than 100 employees and are categorized in certain SIC or NAICS codes.
• Standard and Poor’s NetAdvantage—covers 52 major industries as well as publicly traded companies in addition to all Standard and Poor’s print publications in PDF format.

The Business Collection at the Main Library includes more than 1,300 books on topics from accounting to strategic planning. Or, for those who don’t want to leave the comfort of their home or office, downloadable books and audiobooks can be checked out from the library’s catalog also located at www.daytonmetrolibrary.org.

Programs are predominately provided by the Dayton chapter of SCORE, counselor’s to America’s small businesses. SCORE counselors, who are usually retired business executives, provide three core courses. The Business Start-Up Basics course is taught on a monthly basis. Topics covered include business plan development, market analysis, record keeping, financial analysis, and more. The other programs focus on marketing and business planning. All programs are free for attendees. In conjunction with SCORE, the library also offers drop-in business counseling on the first Thursday of every month from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Dayton Metro Library has a full-time business specialist who provides research assistance. Sandy Prell has an MBA from Xavier and a background in marketing and fundraising. She is able to help information seekers find what they need, from company information to customer lists. She can be reached at 463-2665.

For those who need it, wireless access is available at all Dayton Metro Library locations. Computers are also available for public use. The Main Library at 215 E. Third St., Dayton, is open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday and some Sundays from 1-5 p.m. Branch locations are open 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Library cards are available at all library locations and are free for all Ohio residents.