The Library will close at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, December 31, 2024 in observance of New Year's Eve
and will be closed on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, in observance of New Year’s Day.

The Business and Economics Department

Located on Lower Level One (LL1) of the Tom Bradley Wing: Department Map

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


Department Staff


Materials & Collections

The Business and Economics Department contains 172,000 books, 230 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.

Subject Areas

  • Accounting
  • Advertising
  • Economics
  • Electronic Commerce
  • Industry
  • Investments
  • International Trade
  • Internet
  • Job Hunting
  • Labor
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Office Management
  • Personal Finance
  • Real Estate
  • Small Business
  • Taxation
  • Telecommunications
  • Transportation
  • Word Processing

Collection Highlights

  • Southern California current and historical company directories and annual reports
  • Corporate finance and stock information, current and historical
  • Small business & entrepreneurship, including resources for business plans, raising money for a business, home-based businesses, forming corporations and partnerships, starting & operating specific businesses (retail, catering, consulting, importing, etc.)
  • Southern California transportation industry
  • Government documents depository
  • Los Angeles city property records on microfiche
  • Trade magazines
  • Investor's Business Daily (IBD) 1990 - present
  • Statistical Reference Index (SRI), a selective guide to American statistical publications from private organizations and state government sources; indexes and microfiche documents 1980 - present
  • Historical mail order catalogs: Sears, Spiegel, Montgomery Ward

Online Business Resources

  1. Financing New Business Enterprises (PDF Format)
  2. Jobs, Money, & Small Business portal
  3. Small Business Research (PDF Format)

Meeting Rooms

The Business and Economics Department has glass-enclosed meeting rooms available for use.


Jobs & Business Opportunities

Employment & Business Opportunities - Job opportunities with the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Public Library.

Current Requests for Proposals/Qualifications:


BEST Friends

BEST Friends is the support group for the Business & Economics and Science, Technology & Patents Departments. For membership information, please visit the BEST Friends website or e-mail best.friends.lapl@gmail.com

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