Foster Business Library


Foster Business Library Collections


The Foster Business Library's ten book, periodical, and other collections are arranged in a variety of ways and include a variety of materials. Here is more information about each of those collections. All of these materials may be found by searching in the UW Libraries Catalog; each record identifies which of the Foster Business Library's ten collections includes the item.

  • Foster Annual Reports:      (Click here for list.)      (Example)
    • Corporate annual reports for 786 companies in the U.S. and abroad; may be checked out for three days.
    • Arranged alphabetically by author (company name).
    • Located in twelve lateral files, under the sign Corporate Annual Reports, between Circulation/Reserve and Reference desks.

  • Foster Folio:      (Example)
    • Two shelves of oversized books that won't fit on regular shelving; may be checked out like other books.
    • Arranged alphabetically by call number.
    • Located in the SW corner of the library, adjacent to the Instruction Room.

  • Foster General Stacks:      (Example)
    • Over 40,000 business books in 19 shelving ranges; may be checked out to end of quarter.
    • Arranged alphabetically by call number.
    • Located on the south side of the library, near the Business Writing Center, in the Balmer basement, behind signs that say General Stacks.

  • Foster Media:      (Example)
    • Collection consists of three shelves of compact diskettes that were received with books in the collection; may be checked out. The collection also includes diskettes and videos, arranged by call number; some are stand-alone data or databases.
    • Arranged alphabetically by media number.
    • Located at the Circulation/Reserve desk; ask for them.

  • Foster Microforms:      (Example)
    • Six cabinets of microfiche, mostly of old Securities and Exchange commission 10-K filings and company annual reports; available for use only in the library.
    • Arranged alphabetically by microform number.
    • Located along the wall behind the Reference desk, in cabinets, near the microfiche readers.

  • Foster Periodicals:      (Click here for a list.)      (Example)
    • 800 business journals; may be checked out for three days, plus eight business newspapers, separately shelved in the northwest corner of the periodicals area. (Click here for a list of those business newspapers.)
    • Arranged alphabetically by title of periodical; newspapers are in a separate arrangement by title.
    • Located in the NW corner of the library, behind a sign that says Periodicals; the small newspaper collection is separately located just north of the periodicals collection.

  • Foster Reference:      (Click here for a list.)      (Example)
    • Business handbooks, dictionaries, directories, and encyclopedias; available for use only in the library.
    • Arranged alphabetically by call number.
    • Located behind the Reference desk, on counters and shelves. A dictionary and some reference atlases are located on an atlas stand adjacent to the Reference desk.

  • Foster Reference Accounting:      (Click here for a list.)      (Example)
    • Three shelving ranges of accounting publications issued by AICPA, FASB, GASB, CICA, etc.; available for use only in the library.
    • Arranged alphabetically by issuing body and by series name.
    • Located at the east end of the reference collection, located behind the Reference desk, on shelves labeled Reference Accounting.

  • Foster Reference Serials:      (Click here for a list.)      (Example)
    • Four shelving ranges of older reference collection material; available for use only in the library.
    • Arranged alphabetically by call number.
    • Located in the Balmer basement, near the Business Writing Center, on shelves labelled Reference Serials.

  • Foster Reserve:      (Example)
    • Heavily used books and other course-related material that may be checked out for five different time periods, ranging from two hours to seven days, depending on instructor stipulations. Foster Reserve also includes keys to the group study rooms, and reference reserve items, such as Datastream and Compustat manuals.
    • Arranged alphabetically by call number.
    • Located at the Circulation/Reserve desk; ask for them.

28 August 2003; updated 8 April 2008.     Peter Stevens, Business Librarian, stevens@u.washington.edu