Business and Finance
Contact: Christie Mitchell, Adult Services Librarian, call 203-438-2282 x12004
or email Reference Desk
The Ridgefield Library provides resources and programs to support and
serve our business community and local entrepreneurs. Our comprehensive
business collection covers small business startup and management,
entrepreneurship, accounting, human resources, general management,
leadership, marketing, and selling, as well as resources on careers and
job search, personal finance and legal information and more.
Online Resources
Authoritative sources of articles and reference information, brought to you
by the Ridgefield Library unless otherwise noted. Items identified by the
researchIT CT logo are provided courtesy of the Connecticut State Library
and are available to all state residents. Have your library card handy for
log-in.
Business Learning
An online video learning resource offering more than 3,400
video courses covering a wide range of commercial software, Microsoft
Office, Apple software, business and career skills, resumes, interviewing,
public speaking, workplace issues, social media and publishing tools,
computer programming and web development, creative and technical skills,
art, graphic and web design, 3D animation, app development, photography,
video and music editing, and much more.
Lynda for Libraries allows you to watch videos in small, easy-to-manage
chunks, and to return to the lessons at your convenience.
Log onto Lynda using your Ridgefield Library barcode and the password used to log into your Ridgefield Library catalog account (usually the last four digits of your
phone number, unless you have changed it). You will be asked to create a
Lynda Library account, which will allow you to track your progress through
your tutorials. Lynda is accessible from both computers and mobile devices.
Investment Resources
Morningstar Investment Research Center
Investment research for stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and more.
Also available in paper format. Investment research information and market trends, current and historical data, and expert forecasts. Check stocks, mutual funds, and other securities.
Business Directory
Search over 57 million U.S. businesses. Create a targeted list of companies;
search by name, geographic location, industry, size, and more.
Perfect for market research and job seekers. Also search U.S. New Businesses, U.S. Jobs/Internships, U.S. Standard White Pages, U.S. Consumers/Lifestyles, and U.S. Healthcare (physicians and dentists).
Newspapers, Magazines, Journals, and Reports
Launched in the early 1970s, ABI/INFORM remains the gold standard when it comes to business research databases.
ABI/INFORM Collection’s massive content set includes thousands of important full‐text journals and sought‐after titles from the business press as well as key trade
publications, newspapers, dissertations, conference proceedings, and market reports.
Journal titles include: The Economist, Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, Supply Chain Management, China Quarterly, and Nation’s Restaurant News.
Market Reports include: Economist Intelligence Unit, Euromonitor, Experian,
Hoovers/Dunn and Bradstreet, Business Monitor International, Acquisdata, and more.
Search 4,600 journals. Covers a wide variety of academic topics.
Business Market Research Collection
Search company, industry, economic, and country market research reports from sources such as Hoover’s, Oxresearch, and U.S. and Worldwide Industry & Market Reports from Barnes Reports.
Explore the Consumer Reports database. Search for products, and find ratings, recommendations, information on reliability, and buying guides.
View the current issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
Search 12,000 publications and access 17,500 company profiles from
MarketLine. (Click on Company Profiles on the green bar at the top of the search screen.)
Search 1,700 magazines (some going back to 1975), 500 reference books, 592,000 images, and more. Includes full text of Consumer Reports articles.
1980 to present.
1984 to present.
Business Services
The Ridgefield Library offers services for small and home-based businesses,
including private meeting and study rooms as well as shared work space, free
Wi-Fi access throughout the library, public computers (with Microsoft Word,
Excel, PowerPoint, and Publisher), photocopiers (20 cents per page), fax
machine, color scanner, and more.
View Business Services for more information.
Nonprofit Resources
The Library maintains a collection on nonprofit management, fundraising,
grants, and Foundation Center resources.
View Nonprofits, Grants & Foundation Center for more information.
Learning Opportunities
Seminars, workshops, lectures, and other programs related to business
development and management, employment, career advice, and more.
Click here for a program listing.
Websites
Banks and Banking
Find bank ratings for national banks, thrifts, and credit unions
Find a bank or credit union
Finance and Investments
Insurance
A.M. Best’s Consumer Insurance Information Center
Information and company ratings
Connecticut Insurance Department
Insurance Information Institute
Brings insurance information to the public
Consumer Reports Guide to Health Insurance
Have your Ridgefield Library card handy for log-in.
Personal Finance
The official site to get your free annual credit reports
Consumer Information – Federal Trade Commission
Basic information from the Federal Trade Commission
Financial literacy blog and information from University of Connecticut and the
Cooperative Extension System information
See also Consumer Information above
Financial & Mortgage Calculators
Identity Theft – Consumer Information
Federal Trade Commission
Identity Theft Information and Resources
CT Department of Consumer Protection
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
FBI and National White Collar Crime Center
From the Federal Financial Literacy and Education Commission
Be an informed consumer, avoid scams, and find information on a wide variety of topics
Library Materials
The Business collection is located in a designated area on the Upper Level
near the Adult Services Desk. Barron’s is kept at the Adult Services Desk.
Audiobooks and nonfiction DVDs are shelved separately.
Books / DVD / Audiobooks
- Accounting – 657
- Businesses History – 338.7
- Customer Relations – 658.812
- Entrepreneurship – 658.022, 658.041, 658.4
- Insurance – 368
- International Trade – 332
- Investing – 332.63
- Job Search and Career – 650.14
- Management and Leadership – 658.4 ]
- Personal Finance – 332.6
- Personal Success in Business – 650.1
- Presentations – 658.452
- Resumes & Interviewing – 650.14 to 650.144
- Sales & Selling – 658.81 to 658.85
- Small Business Management – 658.022, 658.041, 658.4
- Time Management – 650.11
- Wills & Estates – 346.7305 (also 332.024)
Magazines / Newspapers
- Barron’s
- Bloomberg Business Week
- Connecticut Magazine
- Economist
- Entrepreneur
- Fairfield County Business Journal
- Financial Times
- Forbes
- Fortune
- Harvard Business Review
- Investor’s Business Daily – IBD Weekly
- Kiplinger Letter
- Kiplinger’s Personal Finance*
- Kiplinger’s Retirement Report
- Money
- New York Times
- Value Line Investment Survey
- Wall Street Journal
* Indicates magazines that are also available for download on RBDigital