Fremont Main Library: Global Reach, Local Access
by Sallie Pine, Fremont Libraries
note: this article was originally written for the Fremont Business Review's Feb 2011 issue.
Located in a City with residents from around the globe and business ties to many countries, the Fremont Main Library reaches a global community in a variety of ways.
Global Business Information
Our business collection helps local enterprises connect globally. Some of the print sources that local businesses seeking to increase their reach might want to use are:
· International Directory of Importers: Asia-Pacific (2010)
· International Directory of Importers: Europe (2009)
· Dun & Bradstreet’s Principal International Businesses (2010)
· Export Administration Regulations (looseleaf)
We also subscribe to some journals that might be of interest for those involved in, or looking to be involved in, international trade:
· China Business Review: This is the official magazine of the US-China Business Council, considered the leading authority on China trade and investment. It includes strategies for penetrating the Chinese market, opportunities in specific sectors, legal developments in China’s trade and investment arenas, and more.
· International Employment Hotline: Contains job listings
· Made for Export: Consumer Goods: Called a “trade fair in print,” presents products and offers trading contacts. Separated into sections by type of product.
· OECD Outlook: Economic forecasts for OECD countries. (For a complete list, see www.oecd.org). Issued by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Dept. of Economics and Statistics.
A host of informative articles can be found by logging on to our magazine and journal databases with a library card and searching by keywords (country, product, industry, etc.) The more descriptors you use, the more targeted your results. Go to www.aclibrary.org, click on Research (blue bar at the top), then Articles and Databases, then Magazine, Journal and Newspaper Articles. Choose either EBSCOHost Research Collection or Infotrac OneFile. You’ll be prompted for your library card number to get in. Don’t have one? Get an e-card quickly and easily by going to www.aclibrary.org. Under the heading “Using Your Library” in the bottom right of the home page, click on Get a Library Card, then fill out the online registration form. You’ll be issued a number allowing you access.
Our website also includes links to valuable information for those operating internationally. Go to www.aclibrary.org. Under Research (dark blue band at top), click on Business & Investment, then on Global Marketplace:
· Deloitte Global Country Guides (http://tinyurl.com/492x7py): These reports contain detailed information on doing business or investing in 60 key nations. Covers tax and investment considerations, HR regulations and visa requirements.
· Europages, the European Business Directory (www.europages.com): Contains 500,000 companies in 21 business sectors. Can be searched by company name, country, and product or service.
· Global EDGE (http://globaledge.msu.edu/resourcedesk/): This rich portal site from Michigan State University contains country insights, market potential indicators, and links to a wealth of global business resources by country or topic.
· Global Road Warriors (link from our web page with a library card to log into this subscription service.): GRW has country-based e-content for libraries containing information for business people, students and travelers, with maps; country and trade reports; cultural, media, holidays, trade information; and much more.
· International Business Culture and Etiquette (www.executiveplanet.com): Guidelines for business etiquette by country.
Other websites we have found to be useful are:
Country Studies
· Library of Congress Portal Gateway (Portals of the World)
http://international.loc.gov/intldl/intldlhome.html
· CIA World Factbooks
www.cia.gov
· US State Department Background Notes on countries
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/
Industry and Trade Survey Reports
· US International Trade Administration http://trade.gov/mas/index.asp: Click on Data & Analysis in the dark blue bar at the top
· International Market Insights and Industry Sector Analysis from the US Department of Commerce http://www.buyusa.gov/home/export.html: Choose a country and select Industry Highlights or Doing Business in…from the navigation bar at the left
Company Information
· Kompass http://www.kompass.com/: Worldwide business purchasing and marketing directory
· Europages, the European Business Directory: Contains 500,000 companies in 21 business sectors. Can be searched by company name, country, and product or service.
· Wand www.wand.com: This is a worldwide directory of companies and products. You only have to register if you want to list your company.
International Trade
· U.S. International Trade Commission (Register free) http://dataweb.usitc.gov:
Export questions, import duties, intellectual property questions, official tariff schedules and tariff information, import/export statistics, industry and trade survey reports
· Official Harmonized Tariff Schedule. http://www.usitc.gov/tata/hts/index.htm:
Downloadable by chapter
· Import-Export Statistics of the United States (need a free login name) http://dataweb.usitc.gov/scripts/user_set.asp: Gives you the most important import and export statistics by product and value or quantity. Based on the “U.S. Imports for Consumption” tables and “U.S. Exports.”
· Trade Stats Express from the Office of Industry & Trade Information http://tse.export.gov/ :
National trade data and State exports
Multi-Lingual Collection
Our libraries have materials in languages other than English. The most popular of these are Chinese and Hindi. Centerville also has books and DVDs in Farsi, a language spoken primarily in Iran and Afghanistan. Fremont Main’s collection includes books in Chinese, Farsi, Gujarati, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Urdu and Vietnamese. DVDs are available in Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, Korean, Punjabi, Spanish, Tagalog, Urdu and Vietnamese. In addition to being used by members of the community in and around Fremont, these are often checked out by visiting family members coming from overseas.
Program Outreach to our Global Community
Beyond materials, Fremont Libraries also offers programming in languages other than English. There are bilingual story times at Fremont Main, with English combined with Mandarin, Hindi, and Japanese. There has been a series of lectures aimed at the Chinese speaking audience about Western literature and the influences upon it, conducted in Mandarin. Computer classes and/or classes on making use of the library’s catalog have been held for speakers of Chinese, Farsi, Spanish and Hindi, and continue to be scheduled when possible.
For more information on materials and programming, call the Information Desk at (510) 745-1401, or the Children’s Desk at (510) 745-1421.
Sallie Pine, Manager, Fremont Libraries can be reached at (510) 745-1413 or via email at spine@aclibrary.org. The library is located at 2400 Stevenson Blvd in Fremont. For more information, visit www.aclibrary.org.
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