Everything Your Austin Library Card Gets Your Business for Free

B2B prospecting tools can cost businesses north of $15K a year.

The Austin Public Library provides access to tools used for prospecting, company research, competitive analysis, market sizing, and investor diligence: the same categories of tools used by sales teams, consultants, investors, and researchers.

And the benefits extend beyond databases.

Here is a complete guide to getting the most out of your Austin library card.

(Not sponsored by the Austin Public Library)

What Your Austin Library Unlocks

AtoZdatabases

AtoZ contains 65 million U.S. business profiles and 240 million consumer records. You can filter businesses by industry, ZIP code, employee count, revenue, and other criteria, then download the results.

For a business owner building an outbound sales list, it can replace a large part of what expensive prospecting platforms are used for.

One limitation: downloads are capped at 1,000 records per search. But that is still enough to build a highly targeted prospect list.

Factiva

Factiva provides access to more than 32,000 sources across 150 countries, including newspapers, newswires, magazines, and television and radio transcripts.

It is the kind of diligence tool investors and consultants use to research a company's history, leadership, announcements, controversies, and media coverage before a meeting.

Austin Business Journal and the Book of Lists

Library access includes Austin Business Journal reporting and its annual Book of Lists.

That means searchable rankings of Austin's:

• Largest employers
• Fastest-growing companies
• Venture capital firms
• Professional service providers
• Commercial real estate companies
• Other major local industries

Instead of searching for companies one at a time, you can begin with a ranked list of the most significant players in a market.

SizeUpAustin

SizeUpAustin helps you benchmark your company against similar businesses in the region.

You can compare local revenue, costs, salaries, and other operating metrics, then map where competitors, customers, and suppliers are located across the Austin metro.

You do not even need a library card for this one. The tool is provided separately by the City of Austin.

Gale Business: Insights

Gale Business: Insights provides detailed company and industry profiles, including:

• SWOT reports
• Market-share reports
• Financial reports
• Company histories
• Industry overviews
• Business and scholarly articles

For business owners researching competitors, writing a business plan, or supporting the assumptions in a pitch deck, this may be one of the most valuable tools in the entire collection.

Texas Legal Forms

Texas Legal Forms provides access to thousands of customizable, state-specific business, personal, real estate, and litigation documents.

It can help business owners understand the documents involved before paying someone else to prepare or review them.

More Databases

The library also provides access to:

• The Texas Venture Capital and Private Equity Directory, which profiles investment firms across the state
• SOSDirect for Texas entity, trademark, and UCC records
• Gale Business: Entrepreneurship for sample business plans and operating guides
• Gale OneFile: Business for nearly 4,000 business and trade publications
• Brands and Their Companies, a directory of manufacturers, importers, distributors, and consumer brands

One important caveat: SOSDirect is only available on library computers, and a staff member must log you in. Most of the other databases can be accessed remotely with a library card or eCard.

Other Resources

The New York Times

Cardholders can redeem a code every 72 hours for full remote and app access, including the Times archive dating back to 1851.

Redeem, read, repeat.

Gale Presents: Udemy

Cardholders receive access to thousands of on-demand courses across business, technology, design, languages, and other subjects.

Free Meeting Rooms

Shared Learning Rooms at the Central Library and the Carver, Terrazas, and Ruiz branches can accommodate small groups and be reserved online for free.

You do not even need a library card to reserve one.

The rooms cannot be used to sell products, solicit money, or advertise services, but they can work for small team meetings, workshops, and business discussions.

Larger branch meeting rooms are also free, but they are limited to non-commercial gatherings that are open to the public and include three or more people.

The Innovation Lab

The Central Library's digital makerspace provides hardware and software for producing:

• Podcasts
• Videos
• Music
• 3D renderings
• Other digital content

Its equipment includes Apple and Windows computers alongside tools such as Adobe software and Audacity.

How To Get Access

Anyone living within the Austin Full Purpose, Austin 2 Mile ETJ, Austin 5 Mile ETJ, or Austin LTD jurisdictions qualifies for a free library card or digital eCard.

Not sure which zone you are in? Check your address on the city's Jurisdictions Web Map.

Residents can apply for a digital eCard online by uploading a photo ID and proof of residence. Applications are typically processed within two to three business days, without requiring a branch visit.

Texas residents who live outside the eligible Austin jurisdictions can purchase a digital eCard for $46 per year.

Explore Austin Public Library's full collection of business resources.