Best Tools For Value Investors!

1. Value Line

LIST OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES WITH FREE VALUELINE ACCESS

PUBLIC LIBRARIES WITH FREE VALUELINE ACCESS

Library System	City/Area	State	Special Notes
Alachua County Library District	Gainesville area	FL	Full access to investment research
Anne Arundel County Public Library	Annapolis area	MD	Timely stock information & advice
Arlington Public Library	Arlington	VA	Full ValueLine Research Center
Austin Public Library	Austin	TX	1,700 stocks + 1,800 small/mid-cap
Beaverton City Library	Beaverton	OR	Via Washington County Cooperative
Brooklyn Public Library	Brooklyn	NY	Investment research on companies
Bucks County Free Library	Bucks County	PA	Free unlimited digital access
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library	Charlotte	NC	Research & Learn resources
Denver Public Library	Denver	CO	1,700 stocks + 1,800 small/mid-cap
Deschutes Public Library	Bend	OR	Investment research resources
District of Columbia Public Library	Washington	DC	Tools for investment decisions
Enoch Pratt Free Library	Baltimore	MD	Accessible from home with card
Fairfax County Public Library	Fairfax County	VA	Via A-Z Online Resources
Forbes Library	Northampton	MA	Provided by Boston Public Library
Frederick County Public Libraries	Frederick County	MD	Remote and in-library access
Harris County Public Library	Houston area	TX	Remote access available
J.V. Fletcher Library (MVLC)	Westford	MA	Part of 36-library consortium
Johnson County Library	Johnson County	KS	Stock reports and mutual funds
Jones Library	Amherst	MA	Free access with library card
Memphis Public Libraries	Memphis	TN	Library Research Center access
Milwaukee Public Library	Milwaukee	WI	City cardholders only
Nashville Public Library	Nashville	TN	Stocks, mutual funds, options
Newport Beach Library	Newport Beach	CA	Online Investment Survey
New York Public Library	New York	NY	ValueLine Research Center
Ocean County Library	Ocean County	NJ	1,700 stocks with Timeliness
Orange County Public Libraries	Orange County	CA	Requires card number and PIN
Palos Verdes Library District	Palos Verdes	CA	Complete Research Center edition
Portland Public Library	Portland	ME	ValueLine Investment Survey
Salt Lake City Public Library	Salt Lake City	UT	Full access
San José Public Library	San José	CA	Investment research platform
Santa Clara County Library	Santa Clara County	CA	Stocks and funds research
Schaumburg Library	Schaumburg	IL	Via Research section
Seattle Public Library	Seattle	WA	Investment ratings and research
Sonoma County Library	Sonoma County	CA	Investment research platform
St. Charles City-County Library	St. Charles	MO	1,700 stocks + 15,000 funds
St. Louis County Library	St. Louis County	MO	NYSE, AMEX, NASDAQ coverage
Thousand Oaks Library	Thousand Oaks	CA	Paper copy in library
Westerville Public Library	Westerville	OH	Smart research for investing
Westlake Porter Public Library	Westlake	OH	Enter library card for access

PUBLIC LIBRARIES WITH FREE VALUELINE ACCESS

ACADEMIC/UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES WITH VALUELINE

Library System	Location	State	Special Notes
Indiana University Libraries	Bloomington	IN	University access
Loyola University Chicago Libraries	Chicago	IL	8,000 stocks, 13,000 funds
NC State University Libraries	Raleigh	NC	1,700 analyst-covered companies
Penn State University Libraries	University Park	PA	Standard investment advisory
Rutgers University Libraries	New Brunswick	NJ	Comprehensive information
UNT Dallas Library	Dallas	TX	Value Line Pro access

LIBRARY CONSORTIUMS

Consortium Name	Coverage	States	Members	Notes
Merrimack Valley Library Consortium	Greater Merrimack Valley	MA	36 libraries	Shared subscription
Washington County Cooperative	Washington County	OR	Multiple	Includes Beaverton

TOTAL: 45 distinct library systems (39 public + 6 academic)

Note: The Merrimack Valley Library Consortium alone represents 36 additional public libraries in Massachusetts, bringing the actual total to 70+ individual libraries.

EXAMPLE OF VALUE LINE PRINTOUT

What Makes Value Line Valuable

Comprehensive data in one place: Value Line provides 15-20 years of historical financial data on each company - revenues, earnings, dividends, margins, returns on equity, etc. This historical perspective is crucial for value investors who want to understand business performance over full economic cycles.

The Safety and Timeliness Ranks: While debatable in effectiveness, these rankings help screen thousands of stocks quickly. Many value investors use the Safety rank (1-5, with 1 being safest) to identify financially stable companies.

Standardized format: Every stock report follows the same one-page layout, making it easy to compare companies and spot trends quickly.

Conservative projections: Value Line's 3-5 year forecasts tend to be more conservative than Wall Street consensus, which aligns well with value investing's margin-of-safety approach.

Visual clarity: The charts showing 15+ years of revenue, earnings, and other metrics make it easy to spot quality businesses with consistent performance.

Getting Free Access Through Your Library

Most public library systems offer free digital access to Value Line:

1. Check your library's website - Look for a "Research Databases" or "Online Resources" section

2. Library card required - You'll typically need a valid library card number to log in remotely

3. In-person access - Even if remote access isn't available, you can usually access it on library computers

4. Ask a librarian - If you can't find it, ask reference staff - they can tell you if your system subscribes

Many university libraries also provide access if you're affiliated with a college. The subscription is expensive ($600+ annually for individuals), so the library route is definitely worth exploring first!

2. Dataroma

What Makes Dataroma Valuable

Tracks "superinvestor" portfolios: Dataroma aggregates the 13F filings of famous value investors like Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, Mohnish Pabrai, Seth Klarman, Bill Ackman, and dozens of others. You can see exactly what stocks they own and in what quantities.

Learn from the best: Value investors often look for ideas by following proven investors. If multiple respected investors are buying the same stock, it's worth researching. Dataroma makes this pattern-spotting easy.

Track portfolio changes: You can see when these investors buy new positions, add to existing ones, or sell. This provides insight into their current thinking, though remember there's a 45-day reporting lag on 13F filings.

"Consensus holdings" feature: Shows which stocks are owned by multiple superinvestors - a useful screening tool for finding high-conviction ideas among top value investors.

Portfolio performance tracking: You can see historical performance of these portfolios, though past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

How to Access Dataroma

Simply go to www.dataroma.com - that's it! No subscription, no library card, no paywall. It's completely free.

The site is run as a labor of love and doesn't even have ads. Just bookmark it and use it whenever you want to see what the best value investors are buying and selling.

The main limitation is that 13F filings only show long equity positions, not shorts, options, or non-US holdings - but for tracking stock picks, it's invaluable.

3. Magic Formula

MAGIC FORMULA HISTORICAL RETURNS

Magic Formula Investing is a different type of resource - it's a quantitative value investing strategy rather than a data service, but it's extremely useful for value investors.

What Makes Magic Formula Valuable

Simple screening methodology: Created by Joel Greenblatt in "The Little Book That Still Beats the Market," it ranks stocks using just two factors:

• Earnings Yield (earnings/enterprise value) - measures cheapness

• Return on Capital (EBIT/capital employed) - measures quality

Combines value and quality: Unlike pure value investing (just buying cheap stocks), the Magic Formula seeks companies that are both undervalued AND high-quality businesses - the sweet spot for value investors.

Backtested performance: Greenblatt showed the strategy beat the market significantly over 17+ years of backtesting, though real-world results vary.

Removes emotion: It's a mechanical system - you simply buy the top-ranked stocks and rebalance annually. This helps avoid behavioral mistakes that plague many value investors.

Accessible to beginners: You don't need to read financial statements or understand complex accounting - the formula does the screening for you.

How to Access It Free

The website: Greenblatt originally created magicformulainvesting.com which provided free stock screens. The site has gone through various changes over the years, so check if it's still freely available or if there are subscription requirements now.

The book from your library: "The Little Book That Still Beats the Market" is widely available at public libraries (physical or digital through Libby/Overdrive). The book explains the entire methodology, and you can replicate the screening yourself using free stock screeners.

4. Value Investor Club

Value Investors Club (VIC) is an outstanding resource for value investors - and there IS a way to access it for free, though with a time delay.

What Makes Value Investors Club Valuable

High-quality investment theses: Members post detailed, long-form write-ups on specific stock ideas - typically 5-10+ pages with deep fundamental analysis, valuation work, and catalysts. The quality is often hedge-fund level.

Peer review and discussion: Other members critique and discuss each idea in the comments, often pointing out flaws or additional insights. This crowdsourced due diligence can be invaluable.

Track record transparency: You can see how past ideas performed, and members with strong track records earn credibility in the community.

Special situations focus: Many write-ups cover under-followed small/mid-cap stocks, spin-offs, or complex situations that most investors miss - prime hunting ground for value investors.

Learn analytical frameworks: Reading hundreds of detailed write-ups teaches you how experienced investors think through investments, structure their analysis, and identify opportunities.

How to Get FREE Access (45-Day Delay)

The free option: VIC makes write-ups publicly available after 45 days. You can access these older ideas without any membership at valueinvestorsclub.com.

• No subscription required

• No library card needed

• Just visit the site and browse archived ideas

• You'll see the full write-up and all discussion comments

The trade-off: By the time you see an idea, it's 45+ days old. The stock may have already moved on the thesis, or the opportunity may have passed. However, this is still incredibly valuable for:

• Learning how to analyze stocks

• Understanding what makes a good investment thesis

• Finding ideas that still have runway

• Building your analytical skills by reading expert-level research

Full membership (for current ideas): Requires submitting 2-3 quality investment write-ups and getting approved - acceptance rates are low and it's designed for active, skilled investors who will contribute research.

For most value investors, the free 45-day delayed access is perfect for education and occasional idea generation!