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To assist researchers, this guide provides information about selected Dun and Bradstreet business publications in the Library of Congress. Each is briefly described; the Library's holdings are summarized; and each publication is linked to its predecessor and successor titles.
Although they are not included here unless part of a series, the Library has numerous Dun and Bradstreet directories devoted to businesses in single foreign countries. Titles vary greatly. In addition, the Library has over one hundred catalog entries for its extensive collection of regional directories.
Use the link below to locate relevant materials in the Library of Congress Online Catalog:
Dun & Bradstreet has been a major publisher of business information from its earliest iteration back in 1841. Our collections cover complete runs of some publications, but the majority of titles are from the 1960s to 1990s. Titles like The Reference Book of American Business trace businesses from 1843 to 2006, while the currently published Who Owns Whom provides ownership information. Others, like the Million Dollar Directory, can be found within our electronic subscription databases. The company introduced the Data Universal Numbering System, or D-U-N-S, in 1963, a unique number that links a company to its Dun & Bradstreet credit report. DUNS Numbers are used by lenders, government agencies awarding contracts or grants and retailers registering business suppliers.
Dun & Bradstreet started out as two separate companies that later merged and went through a series of name changes.
| Name | Year |
|---|---|
| Mercantile Agency (Tappan/Dun) | 1841 |
| Bradstreet Company (Bradstreet) | 1849 |
| R. G. Dun & Company (Dun) | 1859 |
| Bradstreet Company Incorporated (Bradstreet) | 1876 |
| R. G. Dun & Corporation (Dun) | 1931 |
| R.G. Dun-Bradstreet | 1933 |
| Dun & Bradstreet Inc. | 1939 |
| D&B | 2001 |
| Dun & Bradstreet | 2015 |
In early 2019, Dun & Bradstreet was acquired by an investor group led by CC Capital, Bilcar, Cannae Holdings, Black Knight, and funds affiliated with Thomas H. Lee Partners.
Part of the Science & Business Reading Room at the Library of Congress, the Business Section is the starting point for conducting research at the Library of Congress in the subject areas of business and economics. Here, reference specialists in specific subject areas of business assist patrons in formulating search strategies and gaining access to the information and materials contained in the Library's rich collections of business and economics materials.
