Don’t Overlook the Original Search Engine

Libraries can provide things that online searches cannot

It took attending a seminar to open our eyes to an overview of just some of the research tools available at most public libraries. The good news is that most of these resources are available online, offsite. (Offsite as in while you’re still in your bathrobe slurping your morning coffee.)

You may ask, “What’s the big deal? I can find whatever I want about any company, any job through Google or AI.”

“Google is a search engine, not a database.”

Industry data. Market data. Company data. It’s all there. If you know where to look, you can find salary data on specific job titles (or functions). Here’s a hint, you need to learn the NAICS code for that job – which you can find through several different databases.

For the record, if you’re not aware, NAICS refers to the North American Industry Classification System.

What follows is a mere glimpse at what is available through most public libraries.

• Business – Gale Virtual Reference Library: specialized reference sources with business.

• Business Insights: Essentials: 465,000 private and public company profiles.

• Business Source Premier: Industry profiles, market research reports, directories and trade publications.

• Conference Board Business Knowledge Resource: Information on employment trends, help wanted indicators and economic indicators.

• Encyclopedia of Small Business: Key information needs of entrepreneurs.

• Kompass: U.S. and international business-to-business database.

• Mergent Intellect: Demographic information and consumer data.

• Reference USA: Contact, sales and expenditure information for 49 million U.S. private and public companies.

• Statistical Insight: Excellent resource for competitive intelligence information.

As we said, there is a lot more available. Obviously, your local library may not have each and every one of these resources, but they may know where you can get them.

As great as the search engines are – and they are tremendous work horses; and now, with AI the search capabilities you have at your fingertips at nothing short of astounding. All that said, libraries continue to hold enormous amounts of data, reports and insights, etc. And most everything is free… and there are staff present ready, willing and able to help.

More tips.