The Business & Economics Department

Located on Lower Level One (-1) of the Tom Bradley Wing: Department Layout

Phone: (213) 228-7100  |  Fax: (213) 228-7119  |  E-mail (form)

Department Staff

• Dan Dupill, Department Manager (213) 228-7241
• Youngsil Lee, Senior Librarian (213) 228-7102

Materials & Collections

The Business and Economics Department contains 182,000 books, 600 current periodical titles and hundreds of trade and association directories. The Department's resources are particularly popular with small business owners/operators, entrepreneurs, importers/exporters, investors, analysts, industry researchers, job hunters, students, and marketing personnel.

Small Business Collection

The Small Business Collection of the LAPL's Business & Economics Department provides patrons with information on all aspects of entrepreneurship. The Collection is shelved immediately to the left of the Information Desk and consists of books on a variety of small business-related topics including:

• Starting & operating a small business.
• Buying & selling a small business.
• Starting & operating specific businesses (catering, consulting, contracting, restaurants, etc…).
• Home-based businesses.
• Writing business plans and proposals.
• Raising capital using various methods.
• Examples of business forms for small businesses.
• Franchising.
• Business law, including incorporation and partnerships.

Of special note is a collection of dozens of business start-up guides published by Entrepreneur Magazine. These hands-on guides provide information for successfully starting and operating a variety of small businesses.

HUD Kiosk

An information kiosk sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has been installed in the Business and Economics Department. From this kiosk, you can find a variety of information relating to your housing needs, including HUD housing assistance, HUD approved lenders, and temporary shelters. Kiosk information is presented in plain English and is accessed by using a touch-screen interface. Information is also available in Spanish. You also have a choice of viewing the information on the screen or making a print copy and taking it home.

Online Business Resources

New resources are constantly added to our virtual library network. Following is a summary of some of the business databases available.

• California Manufacturers Register (Harris InfoSource).
  Online database with in-depth information on 37,000 plus California companies can be searched and sorted by multiple data fields.
• Standard & Poor’s NetAdvantage
  Online access to S&P’s Industry Surveys, Corporation Records, and Stock Reports
• Gale Business and Company Resource Center.
  Provides access to Gale’s extensive database of business magazine articles as well as industry research and several different company directories.
• Reference USA
  Over 12 million business can be searched in this database. Users can search by name, location, phone number, industry, and size of company among many other ways.

Subject Areas

BEST Friends

BEST Friends is the support group for the Business & Economics and Science, Technology & Patents Departments. For membership information, please call Jeff Lambert, President, at (213) 228-7575.

Newsletter

Cites & Bytes is the monthly newsletter for the Business and Economics Department. In it you will find listings of new books, useful Web sites, information on special events and programs sponsored by the Department and other interesting and useful business information.

All issues are in format.
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008

Research Guides

These guides have been prepared by Business & Economics staff in order to assist you in conducting research on popular topics. A reference librarian can give you more detailed direction.

1. Business (New) Start-Up Guide for the City of Los Angeles
2. Company Information Online Research Guide
3. Financial Ratios Information