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Can't find it on the Internet?  Try the library instead.

Although the Internet provides access to a widening array of  information relevant to power structure research, the amount and kind of information that it provides is still dwarfed by the resources available in a major research library.  For example, company directories provide detailed information on corporations in a more systematic and comprehensible fashion than you are likely to find on the Internet (at least not for free).  Library reference books are by far the best sources of biographical information, even if you use the online version of the Biography and Genealogy Master Index to identify the specific volumes in which that information is located.  Historical information for periods before the advent of the Internet is also likely to be found only in the library.  And there are times when it is just much quicker and easier to page through the entries of a single comprehensive reference volume than it is to point and click your way around the Internet searching for the same kinds of information.  Below are some of the most useful library reference sources for doing power structure research.  Be aware that many of these hardbound reference sources have been discontinued as the library has moved toward more online content, and those that are still available are frequently  moved from one area of the library to another, so not all of the information below is current.

A.  Company Directories

1. Standard & Poor's Register. Vol. 1. Corporations. Annual. HG4057.A4 [Discontinued in 1995; older volumes in stacks]

2. Dun and Bradstreet, Million Dollar Directory, 5 vols. Annual. HF5035.D82 [Discontinued in 1978; a few older volumes in stacks]

3. Moody's Investor Service, Moody's Manuals. Multiple volumes. Includes Industrial Manual, Bank and Finance Manual, etc. Annual with supplements. [Discontinued in 2000; older volumes on Docs Business Index Table]

4. Ward's Business Directory U.S. Private and Public Companies. 7 vols. Annual. HG4057.A56 [Discontinued; older volumes in stacks]

5. Dun and Bradstreet, America's Corporate Families. 2 vols. Annual. HG4057.A147 [Discontinued]

6. Walker's Manual of Western Corporations. 2 vols. Annual. HG5127.W3 [Discontinued in 1995; older volumes in Docs Ref]

7. Directory of Oregon Manufacturers. Biennial. T12.D55 [In stacks]

8. Contacts Influential, Willamette Valley Business Directory. Annual. HF5065.O7 C66 [Docs Ref]

9. D. Stafford and R. Perkins, The Directory of Multinationals. 2 vols. 1989. HD2755.5.S78 [In stacks]

10. Ward's Business Directory of Major International Companies. 1985. HG4009.W37 [In stacks]

11. Directory of American Firms Operating in Foreign Countries. 3 vols. 1991. HG4538.A1 D5 [Docs Business Index Table]

12. Directory of Corporate Affiliations. 6 vols. Annual. HG4057.A217 [Docs Business Index Table]

13. International Directory of Company Histories. 12 vols. 1988. HD2721.I63 [Docs Ref]

14. Milton Moskowitz, Michael Katz, and Robert Levering, Everybody's Business: An Almanac. 1982. HD2785.E88 [In stacks]

15. Steven D. Lydenberg, Alice Tepper Marlin, Sean O'Brien Strub, and the Council on Economic Priorities, Rating America's Corporate Conscience. 1986. HD60.5.U5 L93 [In stacks]

16. Fortune Double 500 Directory. Annual ranking of top 500 industrial corporations (May issue) and top 500 non-industrials (June issue). HF5001.F7 [Current periodicals]

17. Forbes 500s Directory Issue (early May issue). HF5001.F6 [Current periodicals]

18. Encyclopedia of Business Information Sources. 1988. Z7164.C81 E93 [Current volume in Law Library; older volumes in Knight stacks]

19. Business Information: How to Find It, How to Use It. 1991. HF5356.L36 [Docs Reference shelves]

B.  Sources of Biographical Information

1. Biography and Genealogical Master Index. Z5305.U5 B56 [Reference tables]

2. Who's Who in America. Annual. E663.W56 [Reference desk shelf]

3. Who's Who in Finance and Industry. HF3023.A2 W5 [Reference shelves]

4. Who's Who in American Politics. E176.W6424 [Reference shelves]

5. Who's Who in Government. E747.W512 [Reference shelves

6. Who Was Who in America. E176.W64 [Reference shelves]

7. Who's Who in the East. (also other regions) E747.W54 [Reference shelves]

8. Current Biography Yearbook. 1940- CT100.C8 [Reference shelves]

9. Biography Index. 1940- Z5301.B5 [Reference tables]

10. National Cyclopedia of American Biography. E176.N2812 [Reference shelves]

11. Dun and Bradstreet, Reference Book of Corporate Managements. 4 vols. Annual. HD2745.D85 [Reference tables]

12. Standard & Poor's Register. Vol. 2. Directors and Executives. Annual. HG4057.A4 [Reference tables]

13. Directory of Corporate Affiliations. Vol. 2. Who's Where in Corporate America. Annual. HG4057.A217 [Reference tables]

14. Biographical Dictionary of American Business Leaders. 4 vols. 1983. HC102.5.A2 I53 [Reference shelves]

15. Congressional Quarterly, Politics in America. Annual. JK1010.P64 [Reference desk shelf and government documents reference shelves]

16. National Journal, Almanac of American Politics. Annual. JK1012.A44 [Reference desk shelf and government documents reference shelves]

17. Congressional Information Service Index. Annual. KF49.C62 [Government documents reference index table]

18. Federal Staff Directory. Annual. JK723.E9 F44 [Government documents shelves]

19. Philip H. Burch, Elites in American History. 3 vols. 1980. JK467.B87 [In stacks]

20. Philip H. Burch, Reagan, Bush, and Right-Wing Politics: Elites, Think Tanks, Power, and Policy. 1997. 2 vols. E877.B84 [In stacks]

21. Ronald Brownstein and Nina Easton, Reagan's Ruling Class. 1982. E876.B678 [In stacks]

22. Social Register. Annual. 1988, 1996, & 2003. E176.S7224 [On reserve]

23. Gale Research, Who Knows Who. 1998.  HD2745.W539 [Government documents reference]

24. Columbia Books, Washington Representatives. 1998. JK1118.D58 [Government documents reference shelves]

25. Forbes listing of 800 top corporate executives and their salaries (late May issue). HF5001.F6 [Current periodicals]

26. Forbes listing of 400 richest Americans (late October issue). HF5001.F6 [Current periodicals]

C.  Data on Corporate Ownership and Control

1. Corporate Data Exchange, Stock Ownership Directory: Fortune 500. 1981. HG4057.A1564 [In stacks]

2. Committee on Governmental Affairs, U. S. Senate, 96th Congress, 2nd Session, Structure of Corporate Concentration. 2 vols. December 1980. [Government documents and law library]

3. Mark S. Mizruchi, The American Corporate Network. 1982. HD2785.M57 [In stacks]

4. Philip H. Burch, The Managerial Revolution Reassessed. 1972. HD2791.B85 [In stacks]

5. David M. Kotz, Bank Control of Large Corporations in the United States. 1978. HD2791.K65 [In stacks]

6. Edward S. Herman, Corporate Control, Corporate Power. 1981. HD2785.H46 [In stacks]

7. Michael P. Allen, The Founding Fortunes (Appendix: Directory of Major Corporate Rich Families). 1987. HC110.W4 A44 [In stacks]

D.  Political Action Committees

1. David Greevy, Chadwick Gore, and Marvin Weinberg, The PAC Directory. 2 vols. 1984. JK1991.P22 [Government documents reference shelf; earlier volume on government documents shelves]

2. Edward Roeder, PACs Americana. 1982. JK467.R63 [In stacks]

3. Edward Zuckerman, Almanac of Federal PACs. 1996-97. JK1991.A4 [Government documents reference shelves]

4. Larry Makinson, Open Secrets: The Encyclopedia of Congressional Money and Politics. JK1991.M26 1996 [Government documents reference shelf; earlier volumes on government documents shelves]

5. Larry Makinson, The Price of Admission: Campaign Spending in the 1990 Elections. JK1991.M261 [Reference shelves]

6. Larry Makinson, PACs in Profile: Spending Patterns in the 1992 Elections. 1993. JK1911.P26 [In stacks]

E.  Foundations and Policy-Planning Groups

1. Encyclopedia of Associations. 1997. AS22.E5 [Reference desk shelf].

2. Foundation for Public Affairs, Public Interest Profiles. 1996. JK1118.P79 [Reference shelves].

3. Lynn Helleburst, Think-Tank Directory. 1996. H96.T48 [Government documents reference shelves]

4. Robert L. Hollings, Nonprofit Public Policy Research Organizations. 1993. Z7164.A2 H63 [Government documents shelves]

5. Foundation Center, Foundation Directory. 1998. AS911.AS F65 [Reference tables].

6. Foundation Center, Foundation Grants Index. 1998. AS911.AS F654 [Reference tables].

7. Foundation Center, National Data Book of Foundations. 1991. AS911.AS F64 [Reference tables].

8. Corporate 500: The Directory of Corporate Philanthropy. 1986. HV97.A3 C63 [In stacks].

9. Taft Corporate Giving Directory. 1989. HV97.A3 T29 [In stacks].

10. Capital Research Center, Patterns of Corporate Philanthropy. 1996. HG4028.C6 F848 [Reference shelves].

F.  Periodicals Indexes

1. Business Periodicals Index. 1958- Z7164.C81 B983 [Reference tables]

2. Predicasts Funk & Scott Indexes, Index of Corporations and Industries. 1960- Z7165.U5 F23 [Reference tables]. Used with Standard Industrial Classification Manual. 1972. HF1042.A55 [Reference desk shelf]

3. Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature. 1900- AI3.R48 [Reference tables]

4. Public Affairs Information Service Bulletin. 1915- Z7163.P86 [Reference tables]

5. New York Times Index. 1851- AI21.N44 [Reference shelves]

6. Wall Street Journal Index. 1955- HG1.W26 [Reference shelves]

7. Washington Post Index. 1955- AI21.W3 [Reference shelves]

8. Alternative Press Index. 1969- AI3.A27 [Reference tables]

Copyright © 2012 by Val Burris