Sponsored by the BRASS Education Committee
The Education Committee of the Business Reference & Services Section (BRASS) of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) of the American Library Association (ALA) presents this web site as part of its group of ongoing long-term educational projects to provide educational opportunities and activities for business librarians and other librarians and library staff who provide business reference service. "Core Competencies for Business Reference" is the second of those projects. The Committee has previously published the Best of the Best Business Web Sites on the BRASS web site.
Reference personnel providing business reference services need to have a working knowledge of subject specific core resources, both print and electronic, current and appropriate, yet comprehensive enough to cover the major disciplines represented in business. Many library personnel who end up doing business reference have very little business training or background, even if they have their masters in library or information science.
This web site was created by the members of the BRASS Education Committee to serve as a basic subject guide for answering business questions in a general reference setting in small- to medium-sized libraries. It is presented in an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) format. Library personnel also need to know when to refer more advanced questions, perhaps to nearby college and university libraries. Some sources which may not be owned by small libraries will therefore be referred to if they provide information to which a smaller library may not have access.
A few general business sources are listed below:
A fundamental text and resource for all types of libraries answering questions in any business discipline. Helpful articles, abstracts of reference sources, and exhibits are included.
Has long been the classic title in business reference. Daniells is comprehensive, academic, and provides comparisons and critiques for selection purposes.
Extensive guides to the Library of Congress collection of print and internet resources for many business and industry topics. Includes latest business news, and topics of national interest.
Helpful source for definitions and background information. Good cross-references.
An alphabetical subject guide to thousands of topics, products, management concepts, and international business sources cumulated in a large reference work. It is a triannual publication that arranges sources by types (i.e. handbooks and manuals, periodicals, research centers, statistics). Contains useful cross-references and has extensive subject content.
The most recent and up-to-date information among these selected titles. This highly respected handbook describes business directories, periodicals, newspapers, government documents, statistics, electromic resources and bibliographies. Topical chapters cover marketing and the financial topics of money, banking and investments.
This project was developed by members of the BRASS Education Committee 2000/2001: Judith Faust (Education Chair), Bill Kinyon, Les Kong, Caroline Taj Lilyard, Glenda Neely, Joe Straw, and Dennis Smith. Other contributors included Karen Chapman (BRASS Webmaster), members of the BRASS Education Committee 1998/1999 - 1999/2000, Lynn C. Brown, Education Chair 1998-1999, and Deborah Harrington, Education Chair 1999-2000.