The Business, Science & Industry Department at Parkway Central Library offers resources for all types of investors- from absolute beginners to financial gurus.  Whether you’re looking for information on opening a retirement account, finding out what type of “risk” best suits your investing style, or looking to diversify your online portfolio, librarians can help steer you towards the right resources. 

For many people, the stock market can seem overwhelming.  Terminology like “FOREX”, “mutual funds”, and “dividends” can sound intimidating if you aren’t familiar with the language of investing.  Yet, making sound investments are an important part of maintaining financial stability throughout all stages of your life.  This is true whether you’re a new college graduate or a recent retiree. 

Employers often offer retirement investment opportunities via pre-tax withdrawals (like Philadelphia’s 457 Deferred Compensation Plan offered to public sector city employees) or through 401K options.  You may be required to create your own investment strategy based on your personal financial needs. Make smarter choices- and more money- by improving your financial literacy.  This can be accomplished by browsing the Business, Science & Industry Department's specialty print collection, by requesting a copy of our resource basics guide, and by checking out one of our favorite introductory sites, Investor.gov.

If you’re already a trading pro, then use the Library's resources to stay up to date with our specialized journals, books and electronic databases.  The Business, Science & Industry Department offers print access to a number of essential reports, such as the Value Line Investment Survey (and Small & Mid-Cap Investment Survey), the NBER Digest & Reporter, and the NoLoad Fund reports.  The Library also offers access to some of the most in-depth electronic databases, such as Morningstar.com Library Edition, Standard & Poor’s NetAdvantage, and Value Line.  You can use these free databases for screening stocks and funds, managing your portfolios, and conducting industry surveys. Check the Library’s database page for access information, but many are available from home by using your library card and pin number.

In addition to all of these resources, the Library subscribes to a number of popular financial journals appropriate for all audiences.  Check out Bloomberg Businessweek, The Economist, Forbes and Kiplinger in print in the Business, Science & Industry Department, or from your home computer using our digital magazine database Zinio.

No matter what your financial goals are, Business, Science & Industry Department librarians are here to help.  Stop by to check out some of the amazing resources we have to offer!

A few of our most recent additions to our specialty Investing collection:

• Harris, Maury. Inside the Crystal Ball: How to Make and Use Forecasts. New York: Wiley, 2014.
• Malkiel, Burton. A Random Walk Down Wall Street: The Time-Tested Strategy for Successful Investing.  New York: W.W. Norton, 2015. (Revised edition of a classic text.)
• Rascoff, Spencer. Zillow Talk: The New Rules of Real Estate. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2015.
• Thomsett, Michael C. Getting Started in Stock Analysis. New York: Wiley, 2015.