Who Wrote This and Why Should I Care? Evaluating and Understanding Information in a Business Context

Katy

In the classroom and in the business world alike, the ability to evaluate information for context, credibility, and accuracy is valuable for success, whether that means getting a good grade on a research paper or making a pivotal financial decision that will affect your company’s future. In order to successfully analyze information sources, users must know what to look for, and how to look at it. What goes into the writing of a news article, a business report, or a press release, and how do these documents differ from one another? How do reporters, analysts, and other writers evaluate the sources they use to prepare a piece of information that you will use? How do businesses evaluate and use information, and what are the costs and benefits to businesses of accurate information evaluation?

A panel of experts from journalism, education, and business will convene at Bentley University on Wednesday, October 26, to discuss these questions and many others related to the production, evaluation, and use of information sources. Sponsored by the Bentley Library, the panel will take on a topic that is always timely but is of particular concern as electronic resources become increasingly ubiquitous.

Please join us in LaCava 305AB at 6:00 pm for light refreshments, with the discussion getting underway at 6:30 pm.

“Who Wrote This and Why Should I Care? Evaluating and Understanding Information in a Business Context”

Organized and Sponsored by the Bentley Library

Panelists

Dan Kennedy, Assistant Professor, School of Journalism, Northeastern University

Elizabeth LeDoux, Senior Lecturer and Director of the Media and Culture Program at Bentley University

Cynthia Robinson, Research Director, Bain Capital

Moderator

Chris Beneke, Associate Professor in History and Director of the Valente Center for Arts and Sciences at Bentley University

 

Elevator is Out of Service!

Lisa

The library’s elevator is being taken out of service this morning in order to perform maintenance.  Please stop at the Library Services Desk if you need any assistance. We apologize for the inconvenience.

78 Things is Back!

Katy

Last semester, we told you 78 Things You Didn’t Know About the Bentley Library. Well, the list is back, and this time it’s all over campus and on our social media sites. When you see one of our signs, scan the QR code and learn a little something new about the library.

Questions, comments, or other feedback about this campaign? Got something to add to the list? Let us know in the comments.

The Changes to the Study Room Reservation System You’ve Been Waiting For!

Lisa 4 Comments

We are thrilled to announce several long-awaited changes to the group study room reservation system! We have recently launched a mobile-friendly version of our reservation system.  And, as if that wasn’t exciting enough, you can use the mobile interface to make, view, edit and even cancel your reservations.

You don’t need to be on a mobile device to use the new system.  If you would like to make, modify or cancel a reservation simply navigate to http://studyroom.bentley.edu/rsmobile/Login.aspx (or visit the group study room page and click on “Edit/Cancel”) and log-in using your Bentley email address and password.

Database of the Month: SBRnet (Sport Business Research Network)

Lisa

Faculty and students doing research on the sports market or the sporting goods industry will find SBRnet (Sport Business Research Network) to be a valuable source of market segmentation data on sports participants, fans and consumers; venue information for professional and college facilities; and market and industry news. 

SBRnet combines market research from the National Sporting Goods Association, government sources and various sports governing bodies with full-text articles from trade magazines and newsletters to produce a unique database of sports market research.  SBRnet includes:

Sports Participation: 

  • Demographic data and analysis (by age, gender, income, region and state) of sports participants for 75 sports back to 1993.
  • Cumulative statistical tables show Sport-by-Sport Summaries (total, by age, and by frequency).
  • Participants and teams data for intercollegiate (NCAA) and interscholastic (high school) sports.

Sports Fans:

SBRnet provides access to the Sports Fan Market 2010 report, a statistical study of sports fans based on a survey in which respondents were asked to report on their attendance or viewership of 14 professional and college sports.

Sporting Goods Equipment & Footwear:

  • Consumer expenditures data and analysis for  sporting goods equipment (by age, education, gender, geographic region, income, outlet type, brand and price point).
  • Consumer demographics and expenditures data for logo sports apparel and footwear.
  • Sporting goods import statistics for selected products.

Venue Reports:

SBRnet provides access to the RSV (Revenues from Sports Venues) College Facilities Report and RSV Pro Facilties Report, which includes information on attendance, ticket prices, naming rights, luxury and club seats, ownership, concessions, and financing for college (NCAA Div I football and basketball) and major professional sports (baseball, basketball, football, ice hockey, lacrosse and soccer).

College Athletics Revenues & Expenditures:

  • Total revenues and expenditures by Division.
  • Football NCAA Division I revenues and expenditures by school (including game day expenditures).
  • Basketball NCAA Division I revenues and expenditures by school (including game day expenditures).

Sports News:

SBRnet’s full-text publication database includes articles from trade and industry publications dealing with all aspects of the sports industry, dating back to 1996.

Directories:

  • Professional sports teams
  • College sports teams
  • Sports organizations (youth, coaching, etc.)
  • Sport Management Programs
  • Employment agencies
  • Marketing agencies
  • State-by-state directory of all organizations

Connect to this Database

Please visit SBRnet to explore this valuable database further, visit our Marketing Databases/Resources page to see more marketing databases, or view a complete list of our resources on our Databases A-Z 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.

Fall Semester Hours at the Writing & ESOL Centers

Lisa

The ESOL and Writing Centers have announced their fall semester hours! Undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to make an appointment or drop by for assistance.  Both centers are located on the lower level of the library. See below for detailed information and instructions.

ESOL Center

  • Monday: 10:00am – 8:30pm
  • Tuesday: 10:00am – 6:30pm
  • Wednesday: 10:00am – 9:30pm
  • Thursday: 10:00am – 9:30pm
  • Friday: 10:00am – 2:00pm

Bentley University students whose home language is not English are invited to take advantage of the free tutorial services offered by Bentley’s ESOL Center.  Students can schedule an appointment online via the English & Media Studies Department web page (note that there are specific scheduling links for undergraduate students and graduate students), call 781.891.2021 to make an appointment, or drop in to see if a faculty tutor is available.

The Writing Center

  • Monday – Thursday: 10:00am to 10:00pm
  • Friday: 10:00am – 2:00pm
  • Sunday: 6:00pm – 10:00pm

Writing Center staff are available to provide one-to-one assistance with writing skills. Students can drop in during open hours, schedule an appointment online via the Writing Center web page, or call 781.891.3173 to make an appointment.

Check Out the Self-Checkout

Katy

Don’t like lines? Feeling self-sufficient? The library’s self-checkout station, located at the Library Services Desk, is the place for you.

Equipped with sensors underneath the counter, a monitor, and a barcode reader, the self-checkout is a quick and easy way to get your library materials checked out so you can get on your way. Onscreen prompts guide you through the process of checking out your items. Next time you have books and DVDs (but not audiobooks, which have to be checked out by hand!), stop by and give the self-checkout a try. Just make sure your ID is registered with us and has a library barcode, and you should be good to go.

Bentley Library Self-Checkout
The library's self-checkout station is located at the Library Services desk on the main floor.

Get the Library News You Need via Facebook & Twitter

Lisa

Don’t miss out on important library news and events announcements (like winter storm closings, art gallery receptions, new databases, workshops and technology outages) – give us a “like” on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/bentleylibrary) or follow us on Twitter (@BentleyLibrary).  In addition to talking about the library, we also discuss other Bentley happenings and point to news we think you’ll find interesting or helpful.

Why not use Facebook and Twitter to talk to us?!  Ask us questions, make suggestions, or just give us an occasional thumbs up.  If social media isn’t your thing, sign up for our blog’s RSS feeds, which you’ll find at the top of this page.

No matter how you choose to follow us, we promise to keep you well informed.  We look forward to the conversation!