Business Information Services at Ontario’s public libraries

Ontario's 1,114 public and First Nation libraries are located province-wide and provide public access to a variety of business information and services.  Reference materials, online information databases, CD-ROM and other format material, business web sites as well as standard business information such as books, newspaper and journal articles and business directories are available to the general public, including small businesses, entrepreneurs, career-changers and job seekers.  Public access workstations at public libraries provide public Internet access to business information from Web sites and access to government electronic information and services of interest to business.  Most information and services available at the public library are free of charge.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Area

Note: Some of the resources listed are published by organizations that are not subject to the federal Official Languages Act or the French Language Services Act of Ontario and are not offered in both official languages.

Summary

Ontario public libraries provide business information such as newspapers, business magazines, trade journals, business directories, a variety of online and database information services including full-text business articles, and public Internet access services.

Information about starting and operating a business is available, along with books, journals and newspaper articles on varied aspects of business such as accounting, human resources, interview skills, managing a small business, marketing, financing and doing business on the Internet.

Most public library branches in Ontario provide free public Internet access.  Many of these public libraries provide public Internet access over high speed telecommunications, making it easier to access and download Web-based multimedia information.  All Ontario public libraries that provide public Internet access services also provide access to government electronic information and services.  It may be necessary to sign up for Internet access services in some public libraries, for time-slots such as half-hour sessions.  There may be a small charge to print Internet information on public library printers to cover printing costs.

In addition to enabling business people to access the Internet, public libraries can borrow books and order business articles from other Ontario public libraries for their business clients.  If interested, business people should ask their public library staff about receiving a book or article through interlibrary loan.  This may be necessary in smaller communities, as not all information services and reference materials are available at every library.

The majority of material and services available at public libraries are available at no cost.  Reference assistance is free.  Many libraries now provide free access to networked databases accessible on their public access workstations or online public access catalogue workstations.  For some services such as self-directed online database searching, there are nominal fees to print citations or full-text articles.  Costs for value-added, staff-assisted database search services are based on the number of databases searched, staff time, amount of information retrieved and per-minute and royalty costs of individual databases.  Staff can respond to information requests received by telephone.  Results can also be faxed for a fee.

Examples of Business and Business-related Databases
These databases may be available or accessible at your library in various formats.  Many may be available at your library for free; some of the more specialized databases may only be accessible through public libraries such as Toronto that have fee-based search services.  Please enquire with library staff.

• Canadian Newsstand
• Canadian Periodical Index (CPI.Q) (indexes 400 Canadian periodicals and provides full-text contents for 135 Canadian periodicals)
• Expanded Academic Index
• Opposing Viewpoints
• Canadian Business and Current Affairs: providing subject and key-word access to such sources as the Globe and Mail,Toronto Star, National Post, etc. 
• eLibrary Canada
• Globe and Mail : Canada's Heritage from 1844 (a digital archive of the Globe and Mail)
• Globe Investor
• CanCorp Financials
• Canadian Almanac Directory
• Dialog - over 450 specialized databases   
• Profound (a specialized Dialog service that offers market research reports)
• Factiva (U.S. and international newspapers including The Globe and Mail)
• FPInformart (covers Financial Post and Southam newspapers)
• Nexis / Lexis (full text newspapers and periodicals)
• Dun and Bradstreet Canada (credit reports for Canadian and international companies)
• InfoMart - includes the Toronto Star
• ABI Inform
• Facts on File News Services
• MasterFILE Premier (covers 1,935 periodicals) 
• Business and Company Resource Centre (by Thomson Gale)
• Compact Disclosure  (U.S. public companies)
• SIRS Research
• SIRS Web Select
• Broad subject databases covering current affairs, business, science and technology, social science
• Databases of local businesses
• Online access to the Government of Ontario ServiceOntario information services, Environmental Registry and other electronic government information and services
• Examples of Directory Sources
• Canadian Key Business Directory
• The Dun & Bradstreet National Directory of Canadian Service Companies
• Blue Book of Canadian Business
• Canadian Trade Index
• Fraser's Canadian Trade Directory
• Scott's Industrial: Greater Toronto, Ontario, Atlantic, Western
  Scott's Canadian Distribution Directory
• Inter-corporate ownership

Examples of Specific Sector Directories and U.S. and Foreign Directories

• Franchise directories
• Service company directories
• Directory of Retail Chains in Canada
• Canadian Directory of Shopping Centres
• Directory of Restaurant and Fast Food Chains in Canada
• Guide to the Canadian Financial Services Industry
• Advanced Technology Companies
• Directory of Canadian Management Consultants
• Moody's series of manuals
• Thomas Register of American Manufacturers
• Standard and Poor's Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives

Examples of Other Information Sources

• Trade journals and business magazines
• Government publications
• Statistics Canada publications
• Regional daily newspapers
• American daily newspapers
• Clipping files
• Career information
• Interview skills and resume information
• Knowledgeable reference staff

Examples of Specialty Services
The Toronto Reference Library's Fee for Services IntelliSearch unit provides complete information research and document delivery services to all types of businesses.  The Toronto Public Library's Virtual Reference Library resources provide unique Ontario information that may be of assistance to business.

Sault Ste. Marie Public Library has a Digital Publishing & Research Lab with pay per use computers and scanners available for small businesses;

Ottawa Public Library (Nepean CentrePointe Branch) and Pickering Public Library (Pickering Central Library) offer Ontario Business Connects electronic business registration services for Ontario businesses;

Ontario public libraries provide public Internet access to Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) services;

Oxford County Library pioneered a federal government Service Canada pilot program as a public access point to electronic information and services of Treasury Board Secretariat, HRSDC, Industry Canada, Canadian Customs and Revenue Agency, Canada Post, Public Works and Government Services Canada, Veterans' Affairs;

Pickering Public Library worked with Pickering's business community to develop a Starting and Growing a Business in Pickering Web site, which has links and information developed jointly by the library and local business to assist Pickering businesses and entrepreneurs.

For further information:
visit the Web Site
Starting and Growing a Business in Pickering
http://www.picnet/org/business-jobs/starting/business-startup.aspx?menu=business-jobs

Brampton Public Library's Four Corners Branch provides an Employment Resource Centre (ERC) that helps job seekers link to locate employment information.  Services include job skills workshops (e.g. on resume writing; effective business letters; communication in the workplace), and employment resource specialist staff.  The service is supported by the HRSDC and is open seven days a week except July to September when it is not available on Sundays. 

For further information:
visit the Web site:
Employment Resource Library
http://fcerc.bramlib.on.ca

Note: Please consult your local libraries for information about the specialty services that may be available in your area.

For further information:
visit these Web sites
Directory of Public Libraries
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/gateway/s22-228-e.html
Directory of Southern Ontario Libraries
http://wwwsols.org/links/indextolibraries/index.htm

• Important Notices