Inform

New Library technical innovations and more!!!

by Daniel Hanne, Business Librarian (x4352), E-mail dhanne

New Library technical innovations...:

The Wilson Index to Periodical Articles (WIPA) is now available on the library's online catalog (OPAC) which you can use by dialing into via modem or select on the university VAX. The (WIPA) selection gets a combination of eight indexes, including our old friend the Reader's Guide, the Applied Science and Technology Index, and the Business Periodicals Index. These three alone taken together give you a powerful database of subjects of interest to business, technology and current affairs, some citations now include abstracts. The university library subscribes to most of the titles these index, including over 300 of the most read business periodicals. To search (WIPA) select "Connect to Other Databases" to reach the second screen, select <1>.

The Library Document Request System (LDRS) allows you to electronically transmit requests for materials not owned by the University Library through your VAX account. To use this service select LDRS from the Information Systems Menu or enter LDRS at the $ prompt. Choose the appropriate online "form"; remember to include a mailing address when requesting photocopies. If you have any questions about LDRS call x3111 or send an e-mail to clstad::esbenney.

And More...:

For investors--a new reference source for companies by industry:

We have added the Moody's Industry Review (Ref HG 4961 M68 Index table #3B) which covers 4,000 companies arranged into 137 industries, and is updated twice each year. An overall index leads to the companies. This is a statistical survey divided into two main parts. The first, "Comparative Statistics" provides stock market data including exchange, 12-month price range, earnings per share, and book value. Companies are ranked a number of ways in the second part "Financial Data-Latest Annual Ranking. These include revenues and income, ratios-- "return on capital", "return on net plant", "price earnings", and "yield". Some rankings are for factors important only for that particular industry. Each industry also has a chart comparing the composite industry 10-year stock price with the NYSE.

Cost of living in U.S. cities:

The American Cost of Living Survey (Ref HD 6983 A67) tells the reader it is "a compilation of price data for nearly 600 goods and services in 443 U.S. cities from more than 70 sources" (the cities include Blythe and Chico; Pomona and Pasadena have to be considered via Los Angeles data). This source, therefore, is really more useful for smaller cities which are not part of a metropolitan area. Cities are listed alphabetically by state. Examples of data given includes clothing, education, entertainment, funerals, groceries, and health care. The tables give prices, date, and source for data; sources are listed at the end of the volume.

Which can be used in conjunction with the quarterly ACCRA Cost of Living Index (Ref HD 6983 I58) which gives comparative prices and price indexes for 302 urban areas. For California, though, this means large urban areas only.

Economic profiles for states and major cities:

The subtitle of American Business Climate & Economic Profiles (Ref HC 102.2 A44) says it is "a concise compilation of facts, rankings, incentives and resource listings, for all 319 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and the 50 states". In Part I the data (statistics, narratives, and name of organizations) are arranged by state with the MSAs following. Rankings of such factors as crime, growth, and various "rates" and "bests" follow in Part II.

And about countries:

The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank) has compiled World Tables (Ref HC 59 W669), another source for economic data for countries similar to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) International Financial Statistics (Ref HG 3881 I626). Both give basic data such as GDP, balance of payments, and price indexes. In addition World Tables includes external debt as well as data for countries which are not in the IMF--Georgia, Lithuania, and the Ukraine for example. The Statistics are given yearly for twenty years but, unlike the IMF publication, World Tables is issued annually instead of monthly. A note on the first page inside the front cover says this data is also available from the World Bank on diskette.

Visual presentations for retail:

We will be receiving two new publications annually which give examples of visual presentations in retail.

Store Windows That Sell (HF 5845 S76) collects window displays in color from the world over, though the overwhelming majority are from New York City. The displays are arranged by product (suits, leather), seasons, holidays, events (sales), or colors (navy, red & black), or places (malls), or themes (Western); these headings and others are listed in a table of contents. Location, brand names and a commentary accompany each category.

Point of Purchase Design Annual (HF 5845 P65)) presents color plates of award-winning point-of-purchase (POP) displays. The displays are arranged in nineteen product categories (beer, fragrances, health care, services, etc.). There is some commentary for each category and the name of the producer of each POP display.

For Accounting, a bankruptcy and insolvency reference book:

Bankruptcy & Insolvency Accounting (Ref KF 1527 N49 1994) is in two volumes. Volume One, "Practice and Procedure", is divided into five main parts. These are "Bankruptcy and Insolvency Environment", "Legal Aspects...", "Accounting Services", "Auditing Procedures and Reports", and "Taxes". Indexes lead to statutes, cases, names, and subjects. There is a glossary and appendices provide the text of "Title 11", the "Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure", and the AICPA Statement of Position 90-7 "Financial Reporting by Entities in Reorganization Under the Bankruptcy Code". The second volume, "Forms and Exhibits", is divided into the same five parts as Volume One. Checklists, forms, legal documents, spreadsheets, guides, reports, and other primary sources support the corresponding sections of Volume One.

Employment law:

The Employment Law Handbook; a Complete Reference for Business (Ref KF 3455 E473) carries the caveat of similar sources, that is, as a law reference the user must also consider the latest court cases dealing with these issues. That aside, this handbook provides the basic law, presented by experts, on topics such as "Affirmative action", "Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993", "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990", "OSHA Concerns", and "Immigration and Visas for Workers". The text includes notes citing the relevant federal statutes and regulations. There is an overall index.

Women and minorities in employment:

An EEOC publication Job Patterns for Minorities & Women in Private Industry 1992 (Ref HD 8081 A25) reports on women and minorities employment by the industries' SIC code divided into nine occupation types (professionals, technicians, sales, etc.). There are tables for the country, for states, and for Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas (PSMAs) over and under 1,000,000 population. Unfortunately this latter category does not include Pomona.

Statistics about Hispanic Americans:

The Statistical Record of Hispanic Americans (Ref E 184 S75 S74 1993) is another publication from Gale Research that collects and organizes data, in this case over 1,000 pages of statistical tables, ranking lists, and graphs from a variety of other sources. The statistics are arranged by broad categories such as education, health, business, and government (from 1987 to 1990 22% of legal immigrants were from Mexico, 21% from Canada--page 27.). There is a listing of sources and a subject index with one entry for Pomona.

And about Asian Americans:

A similar Gale collection, Statistical Record of Asian Americans (Ref E 184 O6 S73 1993) provides over 700 pages of statistics about Asian Americans also arranged by the same type of broad categories. (In 1992 1,920 Asians graduated from U.S. medical schools--p.247; also as of June, 1992 1,993 Asian Americans were serving in the U.S. Marine Corps-- p.545). There is a large bibliography organized by Asian American ethnic group.

Reference source for international business information:

International Business Information; How to Find it, How to Use it (Ref HF 54.5 P33 Ref Desk) suffers from the same problem of terminology which always arises with the use of "international"; (no one is from "international"). The data sources described are about specific places, companies, industries, activities; the EC, Japan, Cosmos GmbH, Deans Farm, Beer, accounting, marketing, etc. Not only are most data about the usual industrialized countries, most are from sources published in the USA. So this source verifies that there is little data about foreign countries' business that we do not already know about.

A consumer brands encyclopedia:

The Encyclopedia of Consumer Brands (Ref HF 5415.3 E527) is a three volume collection of data on some 600 "household names" products prominent since 1950 and, with some exceptions, still on the market. The three volumes are "Consumable Products", "Personal Products", and "Durable Goods. Most brands are American with some exceptions (Guinness, Swatch). For each brand the logo is reproduced. The narratives usually include "Early History" or "Brand Development", company development, marketing and advertising strategy, competition as well as a list of further readings. An "At a Glance" box give a quick picture including address. There is a list of brands in the front with cumulative subject indexes ending each volume.