This post is by Georgette Green, Business Reference and Research Specialist in the Science & Business Reading Room.
The latest version of Automotive Industry: A Research Guide is now accessible to researchers. This guide provides an in-depth look at the automotive industry, which has a thriving presence worldwide and plays a crucial role in the economy of the United States. The industry encompasses various aspects such as automobile design, development, marketing, sales, and much more.
The guide is intended for researchers interested in the automotive industry and covers both historical resources and current information. For example, as many car manufacturers are moving towards electric vehicles, the Library of Congress has a vast collection of books available on the manufacturing and technology of automobiles. The manufacturing and technology section gives a sample of titles that explore the historical evolution and innovative advances in manufacturing and technology within the automotive industry, including electric car engineering and driverless vehicles. Moreover, the automotive guide offers numerous business e-resources, including e-books, manuals, journals, and scholarly articles making it a valuable source of information for researchers and anyone interested in gaining knowledge about the automotive industry. For example, first time car buyers can use the resources within the retail and car buying section for strategies on buying a car, retail and pricing sources, and basic knowledge on auto insurance.
While the Automotive Industry: A Research Guide covers information on vehicles, the Library has other relevant resources on automobile industry workers that can be found in This Month in Business History, which covers a variety of business history topics in a calendar format. Among the articles in the guide, for instance, is a February feature that discusses a major labor dispute within the U.S. auto industry, which ended on February 11, 1937, after General Motors signed a contract with the United Auto Workers Union. An entry in September celebrates the birth of labor leader, Walter Reuther, who was among the founding members of the Industrial Workers of the World. Reuther also served as the president of United Automobile Workers (UAW) Local 174.
Check out This Month in Business History to explore other historical moments related to the industry and Automotive Industry: A Research Guide for your automotive industry research needs!