Macee

On Display: From Apple to Zara: Companies & CEOs

March 1, 2013April 7, 2013 Macee

What do the financial collapse of 2008, the bailout of General Motors, the rise of “social couponing” sites, the family behind the creation and sale of Tabasco sauce, and Donald Trump have in common? They’re all represented in our new library display, From Apple to Zara: Companies & CEOs. We’ve selected a mix of titles in print, on audio and on DVD ranging from the multinational to the domestic, from the classic to the may-become-classic, and from the socially responsible to the ruthless.

You can easily identify the items you’d like to check out in a few different ways: come by the Library to browse the display, look at the entire list in the catalog (you can click “Request” to place an item on hold) or view the entire display on Pinterest.

A New Way to Search, Find & Access OverDrive Downloadable Books

February 6, 2013March 4, 2013 Macee

At the Bentley Library, we offer a lot of resources for study and coursework, but we also think that there’s a place for recreational reading in an academic library. You think so too, judging from checkout rates of our Popular Reading and audiobook collections.

Last year, we debuted OverDrive Downloadable Books, a collection of fiction and nonfiction electronic books and audiobooks for users who use mobile devices and computers. Initially, searching and browsing these books was limited to the website from which they are downloaded. Now, our entire OverDrive collection of e-books and e-audiobooks (currently 347 e-books and 237 e-audiobooks, but growing all the time!) is also searchable in both versions of our library catalog! We’ve made searching for and downloading these titles easy, whether you enter a search by using the single search box on our homepage or by using the Classic Catalog link under that box.

Once a search is entered, the search result display clearly indicates whether the title is an e-book or an e-audiobook. The records feature a direct link (via a Bentley login page) to the item in OverDrive Downloadable Books. Most records also contain a link to an excerpt of the e-book/e-audiobook, allowing for “test driving” before starting the checkout process.

In the single search box display, you can access those links from the search results page, as below, or from the individual e-book/e-audiobook page that displays when you click on the title link.

Click to View Larger Image - Encore OverDrive Screenshot — *The Age of Innocence* is available to download as an e-book or an e-audiobook via OverDrive.

In the Classic catalog, only the direct link to the e-book/e-audiobook, titled Access this Resource, appears on the search page, as below; both the search and the excerpt links appear on the individual e-book/e-audiobook page that displays when you click on the title link.

Click to View Larger Image - Classic Catalog Overdrive Screenshot — The e-book version of *The Age of Innocence* as it appears in our classic catalog.

If you would prefer to use the catalog to browse the collection, you can easily see a list of the entire OverDrive collection in either catalog version. Using the single search box, type “overdrive” in the box, then on the left side of the page, click “OverDrive” under the Location heading. Or, in the Classic catalog, click the Advanced Search link. Choose “OverDrive” as the location, and type an asterisk (*) in the first search box.

If you’d prefer to continue searching/browsing directly at the OverDrive web page, links to OverDrive Downloadable Books are still available on the Library’s home page in the Quick Links section, the Research dropdown menu under Search >> ebooks, and the Databases A-Z list.

We are really excited to help you add to your reading list via the library catalog. If there is something you’d like to see added to the collection, let us know by clicking the Suggest a Purchase link on our home page. Happy reading and listening!

Database(s) of the Month: Ebooks at the Bentley Library

July 15, 2012August 6, 2012 Macee

Historically, databases of electronic books have often been limited to on-screen viewing and limited printing. Now, with easier availability to affordable personal devices that allow you to read on the go, downloadable books have gained in popularity. The Bentley Library provides both types of ebook databases. Whether you are downloading the latest fiction and nonfiction to take to the beach, studying for licensing or other examinations, or researching and writing a paper, we have a database for that!

Overdrive Downloadable Books

What’s included? Over 500 eBooks and audiobooks with an emphasis on classic and popular fiction and nonfiction, but including some research materials. New materials are added on an ongoing basis; suggestions for new materials are welcomed at our Suggest a Purchase page.

Is it downloadable? Every book and audiobook in this collection may be downloaded to some combination of computers, tablets, e-readers, smartphones, mp3 players and iPods. Available formats include Kindle, ePub, and PDF for ebooks, and mp3 and WMA for audiobooks. Not all formats are available for all titles.

How does it work? Browse by category, or search the database by keyword, title, author/creator, subject, and more. Then, follow the download instructions provided on the title’s information page.

How to gain access? Direct access is via Overdrive Downloadable Books. A Bentley username and password is required to use the database both on- and off-campus. In addition, depending on your desired format and device, you may need to download additional software. More information is available in the Getting Started area on the Overdrive home page.

Books 24×7

What’s included? Books on business, finance, information technology, health and wellness, and productivity. Also included: study guides for exams such as the CFA, and software manuals for business and statistics applications such as SAS and SPSS.

Is it downloadable? Books in this database are presented in electronic format, but must be read on a computer screen.

How does it work? This database is searchable by title, author, keyword, publisher and more, and browsable by broad topic areas such as Business, Finance, IT/Technical and Well-Being. Clicking on a title displays a linked Table of Contents, from which you can navigate the book’s content. If you conducted a keyword search, your search terms appear in the Top Section Hits area.

How to gain access? Direct access is via Books24x7.com (Business & IT Books). A Bentley username and password is required to use the database both on- and off-campus.

EBSCO Ebooks

What’s included? Nearly 8000 electronic books are included in this general-interest collection. Both scholarly and popular titles are available.

Is it downloadable? The full PDF text of all books in this database may be viewed on-screen. Printing and/or emailing documents is possible, but is limited.

How does it work? Using the EBSCO search interface, browse by category, or search the database by keyword, title, author, subject, and more. Click the link titled eBook Full Text to view the content, then navigate using the linked Table of Contents, or jump to desired sections using the search box.

How to gain access? Direct access is via EBSCO eBooks. A Bentley username and password is required to use the database off-campus.

Safari Tech Books (ProQuest)

What’s included? 150 books from the O’Reilly publishing series, focused on technology, digital media, and desktop and Web applications. Sample titles include Designing Social Interfaces, Javascript: the Definitive Guide and Analyzing Business Data with Excel.

Is it downloadable? Books in this database are presented in electronic format, and can be read on the computer screen in HTML or in the Safari Books Viewer. Books can be printed two ways: by chapter in HTML format, or by page in the Safari Books Viewer format. Users may also email a link to the book for later viewing.

How does it work? Search this database by author, subject, or software vendor, or browse by category or software vendor. Once you’ve chosen a book, you can search within the book, or read it via the links provided in the Table of Contents.

How to gain access? Direct access is via Safari Books – Tech Books Database. Off-campus, a Bentley username and password is required to use the database.

In addition to the direct links above, all of these databases may be found at the Databases A-Z page on the Library’s website. If you would like assistance with searching and/or downloading material, please contact us. Happy reading and researching!

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Database of the Month provides a very brief introduction to an important research database, highlighting key features of the database that you should know about. If you would like more information about this database (or any of the library’s databases) please contact the Reference Desk. If you would like a demonstration of this database for a class, please contact our Coordinator of User Education, Elizabeth Galoozis.

Database of the Month: Plunkett Research Online

October 20, 2011November 4, 2011 Macee

Plunkett Research Online (PRO) offers business intelligence information including industry/market trends and statistics, company profiles, professional organizations, and job prospects, making it ideal for industry/market researchers, for prospect/sales management projects, and for job seekers.

Plunkett Research analysts profile approximately 8,000 companies in 28 industries, with 1,000 new companies added to the list yearly. Each industry receives a complete update once per year. The previous year’s data is archived and available to users.

Industry/Market Research

The home page provides a clickable list of 28 industries for which Plunkett’s analysts supply a mix of proprietary data and data from government sources. In addition, Plunkett provides information for groupings of companies by geographic location, revenue size, and/or company type. All types of companies are included; for example, about 20% of the companies are privately held and about 30% are headquartered outside of the U.S. Data is searchable within and across industries.

Each “Industry Research Center” offers detailed information about:

Industry market research and trends
Industry statistics
Company profiles
Definitions of terms used in particular industries and for business in general
Industry associations, trade organizations and professional societies

The information is cross-searchable by keyword and can also be searched using advanced options. Where available, archived data is presented as a print-style Almanac in PDF format. Depending on the industry, data goes back seven years or more.

Reporting Tools

Plunkett enables users to export company contacts and/or lists of professional organizations and societies, in Excel or plain text format.

Also, using Plunkett’s Build-a-Report ℠, the user can create a custom PDF-formatted industry report for printing, emailing and/or saving.

You’ll be able to select exactly the companies you want to target. Criteria you may select by include annual revenues, size by employee count, specific industry sector by NAICS code, city, state or country of headquarters location and more. Directory information includes corporate address, phone, fax, website, revenues, profits, number of employees, subsidiaries, and up to 27 executive names by title.

Job Seeker Resources & Tools

For job seekers, in addition to the industry and company tools discussed above, Plunkett Research offers:

A separate Employer Search by major (U.S.-based, 2,500+ employees) and mid-size (U.S.-based, 150 to 2,500 employees) companies, with export and print functionality in Excel or plain text
Job market trends and statistics
Tips on the job search process
External links to the government publications Occupational Outlook Handbook and the Career Guide to Industries
Links to career websites and temporary employment agencies

MyResearchAccount

Set up your own personal research profile and create a history of your searches
Save your searches and save comments about the search results
Receive alerts about new data posted to Plunkett Research Online

Connect to this Database

Please visit http://ezp.bentley.edu/login?url=http://plunkettresearchonline.com to start your research. Begin with the video tutorials at http://www.plunkettresearchonline.com/ResearchCenter/videos/tutorial.aspx, or explore what the database has to offer on your own.

This database is included in the following Library Research Guides: Company Research, Careers, Industry & Market Research, Researching Employers, and Residential Real Estate Market. You can also visit our Databases A-Z page to view a complete list of our resources.

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Database of the Month: Standard Rate and Data Service (SRDS)

March 21, 2011March 30, 2011 Macee

Looking to advertise your product, or learn more about potential target markets? Need marketing data for a class assignment? Standard Rate and Data Service (SRDS) delivers the information you need to help with researching these questions:

Local Market Audience Analyst (LMAA): Datasets and analyses related to demographics, consumer behavior and market segmentation, using variables including the industry-standard DMA (Designated Market Area; a geographical area that roughly corresponds to the federal Statistical Metropolitan Area)
Advertising Source databases: Directories, current advertising rates and market analysis for domestic and international media types including print, digital, broadcast, newspaper and direct marketing
Tools for media campaign planning

Local Market Audience Analyst (LMAA)

LMAA replaces the printed book Lifestyle Market Analyst and is a powerful tool that can be explored by DMA/County, Lifestyle Category, Lifestyle Behavior, Demographic characteristic, PRIZM Social Group, and PRIZM Lifestage Group.

These data, combined into detailed statistical reports including Count, Index, and % Penetration columns (among others), can be useful for such pursuits as: targeting new markets for existing products, customizing advertising and sales for individual markets, developing opportunities for cross-sales, and targeting specific geographic markets based on their penetration for specific PRIZM Social or Lifestage groups.

Market Profile Reports: Search by DMA or County for a Demographic Overview of your selected area, or combine a DMA with a Lifestyle Category operator to view a Lifestyle Ranking Index.

Lifestyle Analysis Reports: Select a single Lifestyle Behavior and combine with a Lifestyle Category to view a Lifestyle Ranking Index in light of an entire category, or choose a single Lifestyle Behavior and view its Market Potential within individual DMAs.

Demographics Report: Choose a 2010 demographic variable to view Demographic Concentration DMA data by count, market penetration and index.

PRIZM Reports: View this segmentation data by Social Group (urbanicity and wealth traits) and/or Lifestage Group (family composition and wealth traits). Choose one of these targets to view the PRIZM Target Group Concentration using DMA data, or choose a Social or Lifestage group, combine it with a Lifestyle category, and view aggregate lifestyle behaviors via the PRIZM Target Group Lifestyle Report.

Reports can be sorted by column heading, and printed or pasted into spreadsheets. Step-by-step and interpretive help pages are available for each report. In addition, profile maps of the selected data are available for download.

Advertising Source databases

Five databases, separated by media type, provide information about advertising rates and procedures: Business Media, Consumer Media, Newspaper, Radio, and TV/Cable.

Business Media and Consumer Media contain information about domestic and international print sources (and related Web sites, if any). Searching by keyword, title, or industry classification code yields advertising information including ad rates, publication closing dates, special feature issues and circulation figures. Direct marketing opportunities are also included.

Newspaper, Radio, and TV/Cable are searchable in various ways depending on the environment in which each operates. These databases also offer Market Analysis reports that combine demographic data with proprietary data gathered by Claritas, Inc. and Nielsen Media Research to rank geographic markets. DMA factsheets are available in PDF format and can be downloaded from the rankings table.

Other Tools

SRDS also offers other helpful tools: the Tablet Media Library, a directory of mobile applications (apps) for various publications; Media Planning & Buying Calculators; and a collection of advertising and marketing industry/trade association links.

For further information on this resource, please consult the links to written help guides and video tutorials displayed here.

Please view the SRDS database here. A complete listing of the Bentley Library’s databases is available here.

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Database of the Month provides a very brief introduction to an important research database, highlighting key features of the database that you should know about. If you would like more information about this database (or any of the library’s databases) please contact the Reference Desk. If you would like a demonstration of this database for a class, please contact our Coordinator of User Education, Elizabeth Galoozis.

Database of the Month: Euromonitor

July 10, 2010August 3, 2010 Macee

The Passport Global Market Information Database (Passport GMID) from Euromonitor International provides business intelligence on selected Industries, Countries & Consumers, Companies, and Geographies, and comprehensive tools for analysis across datasets. Each category includes in-depth reports, analyst comments, statistics and external sources. Multiple search options and integrated results across categories offer users flexibility when tailoring searches.

Searches

Use the navigation bar along the top of the page to gain quick access to information about Industries, Countries & Consumers, Companies and/or Geographies. The left menu is context-specific, offering access to information depending on user selection.
Use Text Search boxes (the simple, quick or advanced text searches) to conduct keyword searches and apply limiters and filters.
Use the Menu Search to choose datasets via a hierarchical menu.
Use the Browse Analysis tool to view the most recent reports, profiles, and analyst comments.

Data

A network of international, regional and local Euromonitor analysts conduct the research. New reports, analyses and comments are added daily, while industry reports are updated annually. Historical and forecasted date coverage varies by country, within a broad range of 1977 to 2015.

A sampling of available information includes:

Industries: Global industry profiles including market share and trends, new product introductions, country-specific industry reports.
Countries & Consumers: Country-specific statistics and reports on consumer behavior and lifestyles including Marketing Strategy Briefings and Country Pulse reports on current consumer thinking and societal trends. Research is available on both developed and emerging markets.
Companies: Global coverage for companies and brands, including company profiles, market analysis and Key Trends.
Geographies: Includes the above information easily searchable by country or region. Also includes Country and City Briefings including business environment and global risk information, Regional and Country in-depth profiles, and demographic information including Key Metrics and Future Demographic reports.

Results

The cross-searching and custom report building tools may be used to bring datasets together for comparison. Once users have selected variables and built the report, they may download the data into Excel or print in PDF format. Euromonitor provides standardized international definitions for variables to ensure accurate data comparability.

Customization

Users may set up a personal account to save searches and reports, set up email alerts, and subscribe to selected RSS feeds. The “My Home” feature allows users to customize a page with reports and updates relevant to their research interests.

For More Information…

Click on the the [HELP] link on any Euromonitor page to view video tutorials for Finding Data and Navigation. You can also get the latest news, listen to podcasts, and view videocasts at Euromonitor’s Global Market Research blog.

Connect to this database

Please visit the Passport GMID database here. A complete listing of the Bentley Library’s databases is available on our Databases page.

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Database of the Month provides a very brief introduction to an important research database, highlighting key features of the database that you should know about. If you would like more information about this database (or any of the library’s databases) please contact the Reference Desk. If you would like a demonstration of this database for a class, please contact our Coordinator of User Education, Elizabeth Galoozis.