Global Road Warrior

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a businesswoman in Kyrgyzstan? Me,

neither, but St Louis County’s Global Road Warrior database can answer hypothetical country/

cultural questions like that. Tired of hypotheticals? How about something closer to home?

GRW can tell you about the climate, demographics, language and religion of Mexico, or any

other country you’d like to see. This database is great for students’ country reports, though

it may be more appropriate for middle school, high school and college students. Elementary

school students interested in country and cultural information might enjoy our CultureGrams

database.

Global Road Warrior is also a boon for long-term and business travelers. Topics include finding

education for children, doctors and pharmacies, money and banking, travel essentials and

a security briefing. I’ve searched GRW before every international trip I’ve taken since SLCL

purchased the database. As the saying goes, I don’t leave home without it.

--Paul S., Reference

Oxford Music Online Database - Your Starting Point in Music Research!

Do you have to write a paper on a musician or musical time period and aren’t sure where to start? Those wishing for a more reliable music-related source than Wikipedia will want to explore the “Oxford Music Online Database,” which features multiple full-text music sources: “Grove Music Online,”“The Oxford Companion to Music,” “The Oxford Dictionary of Music,” and the “Encyclopedia of Popular Music.” The database covers a wide range of genres, including jazz, country, folk, rap, reggae, techno, musicals, and world music. There is something for everyone!

Articles are brief, but authoritative, written by leading scholars in the field of music. The database excels in providing an overview of subject matter, particularly focused on the biographical. A noteworthy feature is the timeline element, which includes timelines on women in music, operatic premieres, and contemporary music. There are also topical guides providing overviews of the major music periods and a guide to articles on women composers.

While “Oxford Music Online Database” may not be your final stop in music research, it should definitely be your starting point!

--Connie D., Rock Road Branch

Grandma’s Purse

Antiques Reference P4A is a database that covers descriptions and prices of items sold at about 50 regional auction houses in the United States. It is very easy to locate the item’s price one is looking for. To find the look alike of the purse I had seen in an antique shop, all I had to do was to enter the key word “purse” and enter the category silver &gold from the drop down menus. This database is the perfect place to start if you are curious about the value of a coin, a painting or glassware you have at home. If you are planning to buy an item of value, Antiques Reference P4A, will give you the value of the pre sale estimate, the sale history and an excellent description of the item.

--Roz K., Jamestown Bluffs Branch

Build-A-Bear With Hoovers Premium Online

“The Build-A-Bear Workshop covers the "bear" necessities and much more.” If you’ll pardon

the pun, this is a pretty funny opening line from a business database. Of course, when you’re

using Hoovers Premium Online you can expect such attempts at witticism.

Hoovers is more than just humorous lines; it’s a comprehensive, up-to-date database that helps

users find in-depth information on companies. Take St. Louis’ own Build-A-Bear Workshop, for

example. Not only does Hoovers offer entertaining company histories, it also offers financial

information taken from Dun and Bradstreet, Hoovers’ parent company.

Job hunters will love Hoovers’ Key People function, where company officers and employees

can be located by job type, such as Human Resources. Often, contact information is included.

It’s just what you need when you want to figure out who to address your cover letter to. This

feature is particularly useful when combined with a website like LinkedIn. A customer of mine

used Hoovers to contact Build-A-Bear Workshop’s Chairman and Chief Executive Bear Maxine K.

Clark (yes, that’s really Ms. Clark’s title).

You can have a look at Hoovers Online by follow this path:

1. Go to www.slcl.org/

2. Click Research at the top of the page, in the middle

3. Under Subject Guides, click Business & Investing.

4. Under Databases, click Hoovers Premium Online.

5. Type your last name, St. Louis County Library card number and PIN number in the

appropriate boxes.

6. Type the company you’d like to find in the Keyword box.

Give Hoovers Premium Online a try and you’ll be smarter than the average bear…

--Paul S., Reference