ReferenceUSA  

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What is it?

ReferenceUSA is a subscription database that offers library users instant access to databases of both business and residential listings. Unlike many free Internet directories, ReferenceUSA data is continually being collected and verified. A detailed business listing contains a list of executives, financial information, public filings and even news articles. Residential information appears eight to twelve weeks after it appears in the phone book.

Who Will Find It Useful?

• Small-business owners
• Marketing or investment researchers
• Anyone needing to locate government agencies, associations, churches or hospitals.
• Filing a business complaint? Obtaining the name of a CEO couldn’t be simpler.
• Job hunters can search for jobs by job skills, location and industry.  Locate companies, locations, their Human Resources contact names and more. See Tip sheet - Watch a video on "Hidden Jobs Searching"
• Party Planners - tracking down old college roommates
• Genealogy researchers - locate relatives when researching your family tree
• When Aunt Nellie is in the hospital, you can find a local florist.
• When you need doctors or dentists anywhere across the U.S.

Where do I go to find it?

From the library website, click Research / Research Portal / choose ReferenceUSA from the menu

Information for the database is compiled from telephone directories, and the USPS National Change of Address and Delivery Sequence File. For business lstings:annual reports, SEC filings, Chambers of Commerce, industry and government directories, business magazines, and trade publications. Businesses are called directly each year to update and validate information.

See sample search tip sheet

U.S. Businesses
Use this module to search for comprehensive, accurate and up to date information on more than 14 million U.S. Businesses. Data is telephone verified and updated monthly. Use the more than 3 dozen search selections to create custom queries. Results link to individual profiles for each business containing essential information. See Search Tips - Watch Video

U.S. Standard White Pages
With more than 89 million U.S.listings, this module gives you access to people all over the United States. Records are continuously updated against the USPS National Change of Address and Delivery Sequence File (DSF) to be the most current source for residential listings available. Records include maps and key demographic data.

U.S. Consumers / Lifestyle
Use the Consumer / Lifestyle database for market research, and to understand the buying habits of groups of consumers. Consumers are rated on purchase preferences across nineteen categories and several dozen sub-categories. Ratings are based of on frequency rates (how often purchases in a category are made) and volume (how much is spent in a given category). Data is compiled from multiple opt-in resources, and results are a blend of purchase preference information with household and census type data.  203+ million listings. Watch Video

U.S. New Businesses
Updated on a weekly basis with information from a variety of sources, the U.S. New Business module is the ideal resource for anyone wanting to connect with businesses in their start up and early phases of development. Updated weekly, with 50,000+ new listings added each week. Watch Video

U.S. HealthCare
Find listings for more than 1 million physicians and dentists. Information includes the doctor’s specialty, age, medical school attended, year of graduation and hospital affiliation. Information verified by telephone. Watch Video

U.S. New Movers / Homeowners
Each year 15% of the country’s population moves to a new location. Search using key data elements including Residential Details, Mortgage Details, Confirmed Homeowner status and Move Distance. Approximately 300,000 listings, with 100,000 New Homeowners added weekly.

Canadian Business
The Canadian Business data module is one the most robust information sources of Canadian business information available. Researches create custom searches using criteria from a list of search options and results link to profiles of more than 1.5 million businesses.

Canadian White Pages
Records are 100% publicly sourced to comply with Canadian privacy laws and contain information on more than 12 million Canadian household.

To prevent unauthorized data scraping, ReferenceUSA is updating the record retrieval procedures to require Captcha verification for all remote users.

An authentication code will be required on various results pages.

After three unsuccessful verification attempts, the user will be logged out and re-routed to the ReferenceUSA home page.

Take a  Video Tour on these topics

• How To find a Business
• ReferenceUSA and Entrepreneurship

Watch even more tutorials on market research, locating your business, financial data. job markets

Sharpen your skills with scheduled webcasts on topics including

• Search Essentials
• Uncovering the Hidden Job Market
• Start, Manage, Grow!  How Businesses can use ReferenceUSA
• Focusing on Additional Consumer and Business Info

Be sure

• You have an Arlington Public Library Card and you have a PIN 
• Your account has not expired and has no excessive fines and fees
• To type all 12 or 14 digits of your library card number. Be sure to enter “2020″ before older card numbers less than 12 digits
• To enter a username exactly as you set it.

►  What's a Premium Site? 

►  What's a Topic Guide? 

►  Help and Troubleshooting