Venturing forth: Venture capital and private equity information in academic business libraries

ABSTRACT

Due to limited disclosure requirements, obtaining private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) information presents challenges to academic researchers. However, the universe of commercially available resources that focus on private equity and venture capital has increased substantially over the past decade. This article examines recent academic business literature to evaluate whether resources from newer providers in this subject area (CB Insights, PitchBook, Preqin, PrivCo) are gaining traction among academic researchers. It also matches the resources that researchers are citing to library holdings in an effort to measure library support for PE/VC research. The results indicate that data from traditional providers (Dow Jones, S&P Capital IQ, Thomson Reuters) continues to be heavily used and that libraries are providing moderate support for PE/VC research.     

How do entrepreneurs obtain financing? An evaluation of available options and how they fit into the current entrepreneurial ecosystem

ABSTRACT

Given the high visibility of venture capital and private equity (VC/PE) in business news, entrepreneurs may be misled on the role and relative size of this financing model. In reality however, VC/PE is quite difficult to obtain, particularly for young entrepreneurs. With this in mind, I assess seven popular models for financing that may be of interest to entrepreneurial students. These seven models include: self-funding/bootstrapping; friends, family, and colleagues; banks; accelerators; angel investors; peer-to-peer (P2P) lending; and crowdfunding. Each model is summarized and evaluated for their advantages and disadvantages. A discussion of relevant resources for each model is also provided.     

The ABCs of private equity and venture capital data and information

ABSTRACT

In June 2017, the Business Reference & Services Section of the Reference & User Services Association organized and hosted an event known as the Publishers' Forum during the annual American Library Association Conference in Chicago, Illinois. The Publishers' Forum is a professional development event that brings together business librarians and publishers of business information to engage in a discussion about business information products. The theme of the 2017 Publishers' Forum was private equity and venture capital data and information, and three different publishers were invited to speak and showcase their information products. This article will provide an overview of the Publishers' Forum, discuss the selection of private equity and venture capital as the theme, and highlight the importance of private equity and venture capital to business librarianship. Finally, this article will include a discussion of each of the publishers who presented at the Publishers' Forum and the information products they showcased.     

What do venture capital and private equity firms do? Some current and historical examples

ABSTRACT

The venture capital and private equity investment fields are not as well understood as other sectors of the financial industry, especially those focused on publicly traded instruments, such as stocks and bonds. To help business librarians understand venture capital and private equity firms, this article looks at how these businesses invest. By briefly examining investments by three venture capitalists and three private equity firms, readers can begin to understand the methods and aims of those investors. This article describes investments by venture capital leaders Georges Doriot of American Research and Development, William J. Casey, and Tom Perkins of Kleiner Perkins. It also describes some of the criteria applied by those venture capitalists to select firms in which to invest: how they evaluated companies and the executives who ran them. The article also looks at three private equity firms, Warburg Pincus, Tribeca Asset Management, and the Carlyle Group, companies those PE firms purchased, and factors that made those acquisitions profitable.     

Bibliographie Instruction for Business Classes

Abstract

A contribution to an issue devoted to end-user research needs and information-seeking behavior, this paper describes a cooperative venture between faculty members, librarians and students to assess and improve methods of bibliographic instruction for business classes in order to assist students with their research needs. At St. Edward' s University' s Scarborough-Phillips Library, bibliographic instruction (BI) of business information is offered to students upon the request of faculty members of the Business School-it is not a required credit course. A new approach to eliminating information overload in BI sessions was attempted, proved successful and will likely be repeated.     

Mobile business start‐ups in Germany

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to provide a first exploration of success drivers and inhibitors of mobile business start‐ups in Germany. Based on this objective we reviewed various written sources and interviewed specialised venture capital managers. This led to the identification of about 50 m‐business start‐ups in Germany. Most of these new ventures address business rather than residential customers. Our preliminary analysis suggested nine general hypotheses on internal success factors likely to be of particular importance for m‐business start‐ups. Among these factors were the pursuance of a fo‐cussed differentiation and pioneering market entry strategy or the ability to adapt services to the variety of mobile devices in the market. Young m‐business ventures follow different business models (e.g. application infrastructure provision, application service provision or mobile portal operation), which possess model‐specific success drivers or inhibitors. Further, more long‐term research with larger samples is needed to validate and to specify the article's rather general hypotheses on success factors of German m‐business ventures.     

Due diligence: Recognizing the role of patent research in the start-up life cycle

ABSTRACT

This article examines the role that business librarians can play in conveying the importance of thorough patent research in the start-up life cycle. It provides a summary of the components of the start-up life cycle and due diligence research as it pertains to entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. An overview of patent research resources and locations is provided, with particular focus on PatentsView, a web-based patent data visualization and analysis tool.     

Floating and Idea

Abstract

During the 2001-2002 academic year, Augustana College Library (Rock Island, IL) and St. Ambrose University Library (Davenport, IA) began a unique joint venture of peer observation between the reference staff members of the two libraries. Librarians from each college took turns visiting the other library and conducting peer observations of reference desk service. Although the reasons each library had for initiating this venture differed, both libraries benefited from this project. This article discusses the development of the program, the results, and plans for the future.     

Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Abstract

Small business and entrepreneurship information is another area of strength on the Web. The author covers sites for general and start-up information, sites geared toward women and minorities, sites for advise and counseling, and sites for sources of capital.     

Starting up the News: The Impact of Venture Capital on the Digital News Media Ecosystem

ABSTRACT

Venture capital funding is an increasingly common yet understudied management model in the rapidly changing market of news media. Drawing on scholarship in media management and entrepreneurship, this study applies a community ecology framework to analyze the relationship between venture capital funding and digital news media firms. In doing so, this work explores the interaction between legacy news media firms and new entrants as they struggle for scarce resources and seek to grow in the face of rapid change. A dataset tracking funding activity of legacy and startup news media firms is used to analyze resource allocation within the digital news media ecosystem. Results of the analyses provide insights for news media management by furthering understanding regarding venture capital funding models and the generative mechanisms that help drive growth. Specifically, findings highlight the importance of cross-sector engagement and the tension between firm age and position for growth in the digital news media ecosystem.     

Company Information on the Web

Abstract

Company information is a fundamental area of business research. This chapter covers Web sites for company research tutorials, annual reports, company directories, and SEC filings.     

The Role of an Indigenous Nations Library Program and the Advancement of Indigenous Knowledge

ABSTRACT

The Indigenous Nations Library Program (INLP) at the University of New Mexico is entering its twelfth year of program history and developing a unique venture into Indigenous librarianship. Rather than taking a passive role of information literacy and content support, INLP is participating as an active cognitive participant in Indigenous knowledge contextualization. INLP has done this in various ways including designating culturally sensitive learning spaces, collection development, and Indigenous knowledge promotion.     

Information Literacy in Subject-Specific Vocabularies: A Path to Critical Thinking

ABSTRACT

This article discusses the benefit of library instruction to increase critical thinking skills among business students in the form of a vocabulary skill-building workshop. This learning opportunity represents collaboration between business librarian and classroom faculty to improve students' ability to articulate a research problem and identify information needs in order to proficiently analyze business information and make sound business decisions. Business schools increasingly rely upon standards set forth by the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) to formulate curricula and embed learning outcomes to prepare students to meet workplace expectations. These standards were utilized during workshop planning stages to implement critical thinking learning outcomes into the educational experience. Workshop curricula also relied heavily on the Guidelines for Information Competency set forth by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) to emphasize specific learning outcomes more commonly associated with the teaching of library instruction.     

A framework for building brand equity online for pure‐play B2C retailers and services

Abstract

Brand equity is an important asset that a B2C company can leverage to compete and prosper in its unique and intensely competitive environment. This paper provides a framework for building brand equity model. Based on this framework, some strategies are suggested to build brand equity online. Implications of the framework for research and practice are also discussed.     

Building a Better Mousetrap

Abstract

Businesses and inventors require timely and complete information relative to the new products they are developing. Requests for business information often require an understanding of an industry that goes beyond the scope of services provided by the library. It is important for the librarian to build linkages to community business resources such as the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), or others whose purpose is to assist local businesses, inventors, and new product developers. Patent and trademark searches and other research related to new products present an ideal way for librarians and community business consultants to work together. Such a relationship exists on the campus of Central Missouri State University where library staff and the staff of the SBDC on campus have assisted new product developers by providing patent and trademark searches, and technology and market research. Many clients of this partnership have successfully brought products and services to the marketplace.     

Using the Internet to Teach U.S. Business Research to Students of English as a Second Language

Abstract

The American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird) has an extensive English as a second language (ESL) program for graduate students. As a component of the content-based aspect of this program, students have a semester-long project involving finding information about a U.S. company and its place in its industry. The students must include information about corporate finance, marketing, corporate history, and an industry and competitor analysis. A business librarian at another institution created a website for a course in competitor analysis. A business librarian at another institution created a website for a course with a similar assignment; this website included hot links to sources of U.S. corporate and industrial data. This article discusses the structuring of the course, the creation of the website, the collaboration between the classroom instructor and the business librarian, and the effects of the website on the quality and quantity of the ESL students' research.     

A Business Researcher's Interests (BRINT)

Abstract

The resource to be reviewed in this issue is “A Business Researcher's Interests” (BRINT), an Internet resource providing links to a range of business information (http://www.brint.com/) focusing on contemporary business, management and information technology. Where does it fit in a business librarian's toolbox of company information resources?     

Changes in the Courthouse-Electronic Records,Filings and Court Dockets

Abstract

This article describes the electronic revolution that is currently taking place within court systems across the nation. Digital archiving of documents is becoming a well-established practice. Electronic filing of documents is gathering momentum as a viable method of conducting the daily business of the courts. Although court functions remain relatively the same, the manner in which their daily business is being affected is changing dramatically.     

Student Information Use and Decision-Making in Innovation Competitions and the Impact of Librarian Interventions

ABSTRACT

At a large Midwestern university, librarians work closely with an annual undergraduate agricultural innovation competition to guide students through the process of conducting market research and assessing patentability. In 2018, the authors conducted an exploratory study using focus groups of students who had participated in that year’s competition in order to learn how students find and use information in a competition setting, to evaluate the impact of library support on the students’ success, and inform further assessment activities. Results showed that students used information from the library and from their own research, notably seeking out first-hand expertise, to practice evidence-based decision-making.     

中国报业数字化转型中风险投资的方式考量

本文从报业传媒引入风险投资的可行性入手,提出了“国家主导下,外资疏导与民间资本积聚为两种取向”的风险投资模式建构设想。