Business reference experts select annual list of Best of the Best Business Reference Websites

CHICAGO—The annual Best of the Best Business Reference Websites list was announced today by the Business Reference and Services Section (BRASS) Education Committee.

The list made its first debut in 2009 in Reference and User Services Quarterly (RUSQ), RUSA’s research journal, and recognizes three websites highly relevant to information professionals involved in providing business reference services.

The list includes:

Collective Bargaining, Labor Relations, and Labor Unions Guide 

https://guides.library.cornell.edu/collectivebargaining

Maintained by the Industrial and Labor Relations Research Team, this guide compiles publicly available resources essential for understanding and participating in the collective bargaining process. It includes collective bargaining agreement databases from the public and private sectors of the United States and other countries, in addition to statistical resources on labor unions, compensation, and benefits. The guide also gives suggestions for background research resources and current periodicals on labor relations, and has a comprehensive listing of labor-related government agencies, labor unions, and labor policy organizations.
Published by Martin P. Catherwood Library, Cornell University Library
Free
Reviewed on February 14, 2024

Data is Plural

https://www.data-is-plural.com

This "weekly newsletter of useful/curious datasets" has grown significantly over the last decade. First published in 2015, its archive (in spreadsheet format) has become a go-to tool when searching for datasets. Developed by Jeremy Singer-Vine, a data editor and reporter, he describes each dataset under 100 words succinctly and relationally, with links to access these open datasets. It includes hat tips pointing us to who suggested or discovered the dataset.

Published by Jeremy Singer-Vine

Free. Data is Plural's membership program (DIP+), launched in Feb 2024, with bonus materials including datasets that didn't make the cut for DIP and a Discord-hosted community for members only.

Reviewed on February 22, 2024

LexMundi Country Guides

https://www.lexmundi.com/resources/guides-toolkits/country-guides/

Designed to provide corporate counsels with general information about legal and business infrastructures around the world, LexMundi’s 100+ country guides are authored by its member law firms and freely available in PDF format. These guides are excellent introductions to international business law for non-experts. Often stretching more than 100 pages, LexMundi guides address country-specific immigration, anti-trust and mergers, intellectual property, and labor laws, among many other topics.

Published by Lex Mundi

Free

Reviewed on February 27, 2024

The Best of the Best Business Reference Websites selection committee consists of Andrea Levandowski, New Jersey State Library, and Emily Mross, Penn State University Libraries, BOBBW co-chairs; and members of the BRASS Education Committee: Genifer Snipes, University of Oregon, Education Committee Chair; Adele Barsh, University of California, San Diego; Jennilyn Wiley, Auburn University; Alan Witt, SUNY Geneseo; Alice Kalinowski, Stanford University; Amy Nykamp, Sonoma County Library; Anna Milholland, The College of William and Mary; Christopher Sturgeon, University of South Florida; Edward Junhao Lim, University of Connecticut; Emily Da Silva, University of Ottawa; Gary Arave, Indiana University Bloomington; Kate Cummings, University of Scranton; Natalia Tingle, University of Colorado Boulder; Sarah J. Hammill, Florida International University; Tim Tully, San Diego State University.

The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association, represents librarians and library staff in the fields of reference, specialized reference, collection development, readers’ advisory and resource sharing. RUSA is the foremost organization of reference and information professionals who make the connections between people and the information sources, services, and collection materials they need. Learn more at www.rusaupdate.org.