Enrich, Inspire, Transform
Top
Business Information
Business Collection Subscribe to this list
Find it in the catalogue
Building Unity : leading a non-profit from spark to succession / Prosserman, Michael.
"At age 16, Michael 'Piecez' Prosserman, a professional b-boy (breakdancer), completed a school project that would grow to become a hip-hop-inspired mental health charity with global reach. Through a process of continuous discovery and reflection, Prosserman and his team grew UNITY to the point where it benefited over a quarter of a million young people. In Building Unity, Prosserman breaks down the six steps to discovering "responsible impact" and building an organization that is growth-minded, values-based, and reflective of the needs of its community. Using stories of his own evolution, learning, and growth as a leader over 15 years, Prosserman parallels the creativity found in breakdancing with the innovation needed to build a sustainable non-profit."

Find it in the catalogue
Canadian's guide to wealth building without risk : the process of becoming your own banker / Canfield, Richard.
No matter how successful you are, your family’s wealth will always be limited if you rely on mass-market retail banking to finance your future, instead, take control over the banking function as it relates to your personal economy. Finally, a simple way that you can be in the driver's seat of your money for generations. Many people are simply unaware of their true options because they assume the products offered by big banks and financial institutions are the only choice. The good news…there are some surprisingly straightforward ways to increase your financial options, create uninterrupted compounding growth, and retain control over your money.

Find it in the catalogue
Crash landing : the inside story of how the world's biggest companies survived an economy on the brink / Hoffman, Liz.
The world's most powerful CEOs never saw it coming. In 2018, after a decade-long bull market, the CEO of American Airlines declared, "I don't think we're ever going to lose money again." The U.S. entered March 2020 riding an eleven-year economic high, with unemployment at record lows, the Dow Jones flirting with 30,000, and the good times certain to continue. By the end of the month, ten million people were out of work, iconic firms were begging for bailouts, and countless small businesses were in freefall. Slick consulting teams and country-club connections were suddenly of little use: CEOs were fumbling in the dark, tossing out long-term strategy and making decisions on the fly that, they hoped, might just save them. In Crash landing, Liz Hoffman shows how the pandemic set the economy on fire-but if you look closely, the tinder was already there. Based on access to an astonishing array of business titans, Crash landing is Liz Hoffman's account of the most remarkable year in modern economic history.

Find it in the catalogue
Day trading for dummies / Logue, Ann C.
Understand how day trading works-and get an action plan Due to the fluctuating economy, trade wars, and new tax laws, the risks and opportunities for day traders are changing. Now, more than ever, trading can be intimidating due to the different methods and strategies of traders on Wall Street. Day Trading For Dummies provides anyone interested in this quick-action trading with the information they need to get started and maintain their assets. From classic and renegade strategies to the nitty-gritty of daily trading practices, this book gives you the knowledge and confidence you'll need to keep a cool head, manage risk, and make decisions instantly as you buy and sell your positions. New trading products such as cryptocurrencies Updated information on SEC rules and regulations and tax laws Using options to manage risk and make money Expanded information on programming If you're someone who needs to know a lot about day trading in a short amount of time, this is your place to start.

Find it in the catalogue
Get rich with dividends : a proven system for earning double-digit returns / Lichtenfeld, Marc
"A comprehensive, updated guide to dividend investing that shows how to obtain double-digit returns with ease. Dividends are responsible for 44% of the returns over the last 80 years. Today they present an excellent opportunity, especially with investors who have been burned in the dot com and housing meltdowns, desperate for sensible and less risky ways to make their money grow. Designed to show investors how they can achieve double-digit average annualized returns over the long-term, Get Rich with Dividends, Third Edition: A Proven System for Earning Double-Digit Returns is the book you'll need to get started making money in any market. The beauty of dividend investing is that it's extremely easy to understand and takes up almost none of the investor's time. The investor doesn't have to constantly watch over their investments, and can focus on other things, secure in the knowledge that the system is working and they are accumulating wealth or generating the income they need on a quarterly or even monthly basis0."

Find it in the catalogue
Girls just wanna have funds : a feminist guide to investing / Due Bitz, Emma.
"Start your journey to financial success with Female Invest's guide for safe, smart, and sustainable investing. This is an empowering and uplifting money manifesto, aiming to change the tides of financial power. Are you one of the 68% of women worldwide earning less than a man doing the same job? Then you need to make your money work harder, starting now. In Girls Just Want to Have Funds, the trio of founders behind the global movement Female Invest bring you an empowering five-step guide with a straight-talking message: you don't have to be an expert or a millionaire to make money. Simply equip yourself with the easy-to-follow golden rules and tools of three finance gurus to find your confidence and open a whole new world of opportunities. Whether you want to master the art of setting realistic goals, demystify financial jargon and markets, gain independence with a f*ck you fund, or finally get excited about your financial future, find all the answers you need and more with this comprehensive guide. Even if you only have a $1 savings fund to begin with, you too can have a rewarding, limitless life by investing in yourself and this book." -- Provided by publisher.

Find it in the catalogue
How big things get done : the surprising factors that determine the fate of every project, from home renovations to space exploration and everything in between / Gardner, Dan
"Understanding what distinguishes the triumphs from the failures has been the life's work of Oxford professor Bent Flyvbjerg, dubbed 'the world's leading megaproject expert.' In How Big Things Get Done, he identifies the errors in judgment and decision-making that lead projects, both big and small, to fail, and the research-based principles that will make you succeed with yours. For example: Understand your odds. If you don't know them, you won't win. -- Plan slow, act fast. Getting to the action quick feels right. But it's wrong. -- Think right to left. Start with your goal, then identify the steps to get there. -- Find your Lego. Big is best built from small. -- Be a team maker. You won't succeed without an 'us.' -- Master the unknown unknowns. Most think they can't, so they fail. Flyvbjerg shows how you can. -- Know that your biggest risk is you."

Find it in the catalogue
How to grow your small business : a 6-step plan to help your business take off / Miller, Donald
Running a small business is no easy feat. As a small business owner, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the number of hats you have to wear to be successful. You started the business so you could share the product you love with the world, but logistics are getting in the way. Donald Miller knows this frustration all too well. He faced the same challenge when starting his company. While he knew his time was best spent creating content for small-business owners, he was constantly being torn away to focus on things he didn't understand. After several years of figuring it out, Donald has decided it's time to share what he learned.


Find it in the catalogue
Inclusion uncomplicated : a transformative guide to simplify DEI / White, Nika.
Diversity in the workplace
Organizational change
Personnel management

Find it in the catalogue
Industrial relations in Canada / Brown, Travor C.
"The fourth edition of Industrial Relations in Canada examines the three groups at the heart of this human resources management field--labour (employees and their associations), management (employers and their associations), and government and associated agencies--and the current challenges facing all three. A new author joins this fourth edition, bringing new perspectives and further balancing the text's coverage of both union and management perspectives, as all authors have been practitioners in the field. Part of the Nelson Education Series in Human Resources Management and built on a solid academic foundation, this textbook provides a comprehensive overview of industrial relations that will have students excited about this changing field."--Provided by publisher.

Find it in the catalogue
Investing for Canadians all-in-one for dummies / Bell, Andrew
"The all-encompassing guide to getting smart about the market. While investing is one of the smartest ways to become financially worry-free, making the decisions that get you there can be intimidating and overwhelming. Today’s investors have a huge array of options open to them and sorting the wheat from the chaff—and the get-rich-quick Ponzi schemes from the real deal—is an exhausting process. Investing For Canadians All-in-One For Dummies takes the fear out of the complexity by providing you with a clear and honest overview of Canada’s unique investing landscape—and shows you how to make it work for you."--Amazon.ca.

Find it in the catalogue
Make Elephants fly : the process of radical innovation / Hoffman, Steven
Entrepreneurship
New business enterprises
Technological innovations

Find it in the catalogue
Never lose an employee again : the simple path to remarkable retention / Coleman, Joey (C. Joseph)
"If keeping employees is a challenge for you, Never Lose an Employee Again offers a proven framework for increasing retention, engagement, and in the process, profits. Joey Coleman, one of the world's leading experts on employee experience, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to recruit top talent, bring them onboard successfully, and keep them engaged while they produce remarkable results for years to come. Finding and keeping quality employees is one of the greatest challenges facing businesses today. With more people quitting their jobs each month than ever before and employees demanding flexibility, freedom, and advancement, companies are struggling to build a foundation with new hires that leads to long-term commitment. To effectively combat the hiring crisis and remain competitive, business owners and managers must design an employee experience program that begins on day one. In Never Lose an Employee Again, Coleman offers a step-by-step playbook for creating a retention plan with long-term success. With more than fifty proven case studies from organizations on seven continents, Coleman details how you can forge a relationship with your people during each of the eight phases of the employee journey. For each phase, Coleman walks you through the six forms of communication integral to success (in-person, email, phone, mail, video, and even gifts) so you can better connect with your team. You'll learn how to: write job descriptions that attract the right candidates (and plenty of them); counter the "hire's remorse" that every employee feels (yet few businesses ever address); welcome someone on their first day in a way that will leave them talking about it years later; acclimate your people to get them up and running faster and more effectively; re-engage your existing employees to turn them into raving fans; ... and much more. Never Lose an Employee Again will reshape the way you think about recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and retaining quality team members-whether you are an owner looking to hire your first few employees, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or an enterprise that needs to keep growing on a global scale"--Provided by publisher.

Find it in the catalogue
NFTs : an illustrated field guide / Place, Alyssa.
Non-fungible tokens
“non-fungible tokens” representing digital assets traded in cryptocurrency - aren’t going anywhere. And now, for the first time ever, there’s a handy pocket field guide! An Illustrated Field Guide is a beautifully illustrated guide to NFTs—a must-have for anyone interested in entering the NFT universe and learning about this incredible new trend that, for many people, may seem futuristic and obscure at first! Non-fungible tokens, so called because they are uniquely coded files “tokenized,” or stored on a blockchain ledger, are a new way to create, sell, trade, and collect unique digital assets. Each NFT can be traced by anyone to its owner by an imbedded digital code within it. Why “non-fungible”? Because, unlike a “fungible” form of currency like the US dollar, NFTs cannot be swapped any one for any other. Instead, each unique NFT must be purchased with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, and on a special online trading platform.


Find it in the catalogue
Peak performance culture : the five metrics of organizational excellence / Mitchell, Dave
"Following his successful books, The Power of Understanding People and The Power of Understanding Yourself, Peak Performance Culture: The Five Metrics of Organizational Excellence provides the reader with a detailed road map for creating a high performing culture in any company or association. Mitchell addresses five critical factors -- factors that can be monitored much like the dashboard of a car - that predict the success of any organization. As was the case with his previous two books, Peak Performance Culture builds concepts and provides a new and deeper application of these ideas complete with exercises that readers can use to apply what they have learned immediately"--Provided by publisher.

Find it in the catalogue
Racial justice at work : practical solutions for systemic change / Winters, Mary-Frances.
"There is no DEI without justice. Racial Justice at Work brings the J in DEIJ to life, giving organizations a road map to justice-centered action. We have not succeeded at dismantling systems that perpetuate harm and exclude non-white groups. Many organizational DEI efforts fail because they are too tactical and focus on "fixing" marginalized communities rather than reworking the systems that uphold inequity. A component is missing from the diversity, equity, and inclusion equation-justice. Justice as an orientation focuses on repairing broken systems, acknowledging harm, and implementing deliberate processes and practices that produce equity and shift power. Justice work diverges from traditional metrics-driven DEI work and requires a new approach to thought and action to effectively dismantle power structures. DEIJ pioneer Mary-Frances Winters seeks to provide understanding and guidance to organizations committed to doing the work properly. With additional chapters written by the Winters Group's core team and strategic partners, this book shares relevant theory and practical remedies to achieve equitable workplaces and features advice on how to ditch neutrality, practice restorative dialogue, amplify anti-racist practices, and more. By taking a justice perspective, Racial Justice at Work will help readers to both achieve equity and sustain it"--Provided by publisher.

Find it in the catalogue
Remote works : managing for freedom, flexibility, and focus / Greene, Ali.
"Two veteran remote managers draw on their pre- and post-COVID experience to offer pragmatic, proven advice for designing remote work environments where everyone thrives. Since the pandemic began, a staggering 64 million American workers have experienced working full-time from home. In 2020 and 2021, quick-fix solutions and emergency-transition plans allowed organizations to survive with remote work. Now Ali Greene and Tamara Sanderson want to show managers how to design positive, flexible virtual work cultures that will thrive in the long term-because remote work is here to stay. Drawing on their years of experience working for all-remote companies DuckDuckGo and Automattic (the parent company of WordPress) and as international digital nomads, Greene and Sanderson have written the ultimate design-thinking handbook for managing remote and hybrid teams. The book addresses challenges such as managing conflict, establishing norms, communicating effectively, reframing productivity, and creating an authentic team culture. Using practical, hands-on exercises, they give managers the confidence to design and prototype optimal remote work structures for their teams. Greene and Sanderson never said the remote work world is easy, but they've seen firsthand that it can be effective and enjoyable. Now it's time for others to reap the benefits. Reading group discussion guide is available in the book"--Provided by publisher.

Find it in the catalogue
RRSPs & TFSAs for Canadians / Dagys, Andrew
RRSPs & TFSAs for Canadians for dummies
RRSP & TFSA For Canadians For Dummies will give Canadians a crash course in saving, investing, and holding their money in RRSP and TFSAs. Readers will find the latest in Canadian tax laws, get the low down on minimum and maximum balances, and real life examples to set themselves up for a stable financial future.

Self-serve standard products available on the Statistics Canada website ― including CANSIM and census data products ― are now free of charge. This is an open resource for everyone and not VPL-subscribed.

Available Online
Provides access to specialized reference sources in various subjects: arts, business, education, history, medicine, religion, science, social science, technology, etc.

Available Online
Scott’s Canadian Business Directory lists Canadian manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, sales agents and business services providers. This information is updated annually.

Available Online
LinkedIn Learning (previously called Lynda.com) gives users free access to thousands of video tutorial courses with a focus on such areas as technology, software development, business skills, project management as well as creative skills like animation and video editing. The courses are taught by recognized industry experts who will guide you along in learning the skills you need for your personal and professional development.

For security and privacy purposes, access to LinkedIn Learning with your library card cannot connect with your personal LinkedIn account. Any achieved course certifications will not feature your name as a result.

Available Online
How to use LinkedIn Learning



Find accurate phone-verified information on every company in Canada in this database of 1.9 million businesses. Additionally their files are processed monthly against the National Change of Address Program.

Available Online
Research 11 million Canadian households with the largest database available. Records are 100% publicly sourced to comply with Canadian privacy laws.

Available Online

Need help locating Business resources? Try our email reference service or a one-on-one workshop.

One-On-One Workshop

This one-on-one, 60-minute workshop will provide an introduction to company and industry resources available at VPL and on the web. Learn how to find companies in your industry! Please book an appointment at the Information Desk or by filling out the form below. Please note that appointments must be booked at least one week in advance.

Please note that entries indicated with asterisk (*) are required.

About Yourself
Additional Information

The personal information collected from you on this form will only be used for the purpose of making the booking. Your personal information will not be shared with outside organizations, except as indicated in the Privacy Statement.