Webinar: Industry Research: Tools, Frameworks, and Understanding Using Open Sources
Sponsored by: SIG-Business (BIZ)
January 21, 2027 | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET (Find Your Time Here)
Understanding an industry means understanding the environment in which your organization operates—or plans to operate. This session, presented by established professionals, introduces practical approaches and essential resources for industry research, equipping participants to answer complex questions with confidence. Designed for special librarians new to business research—or those seeking a refresher—this session provides foundational concepts and context for navigating the vast landscape of industry information. We’ll demystify frameworks such as SWOT, Porter’s Five Forces, Value Chain vs Supply Chain, PEST, and classification systems like NAICS and NAPCS/HTS, alongside key business sources.
Presenters
Casey Kelly
Casey Kelly is a Senior Information Specialist with the corporate R&D library at ExxonMobil in Houston, Texas. She holds a Master of Science in Information Studies from the University of Texas iSchool, where she specialized in business and competitive intelligence research. Since joining ExxonMobil in 2015, Casey has applied her expertise in information research and analytics to support a wide range of business needs, including competitive intelligence initiatives, technology benchmarking studies, and business unit strategies across the organization. With a history of leadership roles in SLA, Casey continues her professional service within ASIS&T. She serves as the 2026-2027 Chair of the Business & Industry Special Interest Group (SIG-BIZ).
Jennifer Boettcher
Jennifer C. Boettcher is the Business Reference Librarian at Georgetown University. Her prolific career spans 30-plus years. She is a nationally known business librarian for her books on government information, the economic census, and her articles about NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) codes. She has published dozens of articles and has given more than 40 presentations at the national and local levels. Jennifer has received several awards including the 2023 RUSA Isadore Gilbert Mudge Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to reference librarianship, the 2022 Special Library Association’s Business and Finance Community Distinguished Member Award, and the 2010 BRASS Gale Cengage Award for Excellence in Business Librarianship. She is a mentor to many in the profession and a committed and active member of the American Library Association, Special Libraries Association, Academic Business Libraries Director group, and Capital Area Business Academic Librarians, a group that she founded
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