Accessing business databases is very easy in the Foster Business Library where there are eight public workstations with the Foster Business Library website as their homepage, plus many more Access Plus workstations (limited to current UW students, faculty, and staff). Under Databases on this homepage are listed over two dozen of the most commonly used business databases. There are additional business databases in the List of All Business Databases. In addition, there are specialized business databases on two workstations that cannot be accessed from the Foster homepage; click here for an A to Z list of all Foster databases. For more information about which of the more than sixty Foster business databases to use, see the Database Index. There is also access, from the workstations in the Foster Business Library, to All Libraries' Databases.

Accessing these databases from off campus is restricted by contract to University of Washington students (currently enrolled) and to University faculty and staff (currently employed). To access these databases from off campus, UW users must be authenticated. On any UW Libraries webpage, look for Off-Campus Access in the upper right corner and enter your UW Net ID and password to access library databases.

Alternatively, you may have access to business databases if you have a local public library card. Many local public libraries have an excellent array of online business databases that may be accessed from home or office with your public library card number or card number and local public library PIN number. For more information, try some of these websites (whose online catalogs may also be a good source for books not in the U.W. collections):

• Everett Public Library Databases
• King County Library System Databases
• Kitsap Regional Library Databases
• Pierce County Library System Business Databases
• Seattle Public Library Databases & Websites
• Sno-Isle Regional Library Business Databases
• Tacoma Public Library Databases

For a list of public library webpages in Washington state, click here.

The Foster Business Library Reference Desk is staffed most of the hours that the library is open. The staff at the desk will be happy to help find information in the Libraries' databases and to answer questions about database availability. The telephone number for the reference desk is (206) 543-8012. Questions are also welcome via e-mail to balib@u.washington.edu.