Introduction
Most business information enquiries are addressed at the Business Information Centre, located in the Central Library, ILAC Centre, Dublin 1. Staff in the Business Information Centre will be pleased to provide you with help and information on subjects of business interest.
The Business Information Centre is a reference service** operated by Dublin City Public Libraries, specialising in company and market information. The Centre holds books, directories, Irish Government Legislation, business magazines, databases, Irish City and County Council Development Plans, newspaper cuttings, and has a collection of Irish company reports.
Business Information Centre Events
Slideshow about the Business Information Centre:
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**Items cannot be borrowed. Photocopying and printing facilities (where applicable) are available. Copyright and Related Rights Act, 2000 applies.
The Business Information Centre is a key information source for:
Job interviews
Starting a Business
- 'Start Your Own Business' - biannual programme in association with Dublin City Enterprise Board
- Books, periodicals, business magazines, reports, newspaper cuttings
- Access sample business plans
- Research the market
- Find sources of loans, grants, and support facilities
- Find out about VAT, taxation, company law
- Suggested websites on how to start your own business
- Sourcing financial assistance and funding – suggested websites
- Starting a business reading list
- referral service, where necessary
- download a list of Dublin Regional & Local Enterprise Boards and Partnerships (PDF, 66KB) Cannot access PDF?
- access the 'LifeSteps' guide: Using the Internet to Start your Own Business
Doing Research 
Irish People Archive Collection
The Business Information Centre holds a wide range of Irish newspaper articles on well-known Irish people from many different areas of life.
Company Research Databases:
- Kompass Ireland / Business.ie Directory: CD printouts available, information on thousands of Irish Businesses, can be searched by product and service type, company name, location, type of business, number of employees, etc. **
- Kompass Online: printouts available, information on 2 million companies worldwide, 70 countries covered. **
- Vision - NET Online: printouts available, provides access to documents filed in the Irish Companies Registration Office. Information available includes Irish Company & Business addresses, activities, directors, profit & loss, assets etc., updated daily. **
- LexisNexis Public Library Information Services Database: This is a global searchable archive of business content from magazines, journals, web based publications, blogs, newspapers, legal documents, and other printed sources. Searches can be done for "News & Information", "Global Company Research" and "UK Law Journals".**
**Public access PCs in the Business Information Centre
Consumer Research Databases:
- MINTEL (Ireland) online: printouts not available, notes may be taken, MINTEL is the Irish Lending Consumer Market Analyst. It contains a vast amount of corporate and individual expertise in monitoring all aspects of consumers' economy. Mintel publishes an extensive range of reports covering the following sectors: Automotive, Beauty, personal goods and toiletries; clothing footwear and accessories; consumer lifestyles, marketing, promotion; drink and tobacco, electrical goods, household/house and home; health and wellbeing; holidays and travel; industrial, leisure time, lifestages, media, books and stationery; miscellaneous, personal finances, retail and technology/telecoms. **
- Euromonitor International – Passport Markets: brings together Euromonitor International’s intelligence on 115 million industries, countries and consumers in just one information system. The database covers Europe, Australasia, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, North America and the world. Printouts available.
** Public access PCs in the Business Information Centre
Periodicals and Newspaper Research Databases:
- Factfinder Online: printouts available, offers a choice of databases including full text of Business & Finance and other business magazines, text of daily news stories and abstracts of business items from the Irish Daily and Sunday Newspapers, 1992 - present. **
- Emerald Online publishes the world's widest range of management and library information journals. Printouts available from 58,000 articles.
- European Business ASAP Online (INFOTRAC): printouts available, abstracts and full text international business management and economic journals. Coverage 1992 - present. **
- Irish Times Archive Online: printouts available, Newspaper Articles (1859 - present). Keyword searching available. Births and Deaths searches - November 2004 to present.**
- Irish Newspaper Archive: available online for Internet users at all braches of Dublin City Public Libraries.**
- LexisNexis Public Library Information Services Database: global searchable archive of business content from magazines, journals, web based publications, blogs, newspapers, legal documents, and other printed sources. Searches can be done for "News & Information" (in the areas of "Health", "Business", "Environment" and "Irish Publication"), "Global Company Research" and "UK Law Journals".**
** Public access PCs. Printouts available at a charge of 20c for A4 page.
Newspaper Holdings
Current and back issues of 16 newspapers (hardcopy) can be accessed in the Business Information Centre as well as a number on microfilm and online. View a complete list of newspapers available for reference in the Business Information Centre.
Dublin City Library and Archive
Newspapers, both national and local, some dating from the 18th century, form a considerable part of the materials held in the Dublin City Library and Archive, Pearse Street, and available for reference in the Reading Room. Newspapers continue to be collected on an ongoing basis and are available in either bound hardcopy or microfilm formats. Current and recent issues of the newspapers are not available for viewing for a period of six months, however.
[View a list of online newspapers]
Reference Titles / Directories
A comprehensive range of reference works (i.e. cannot be borrowed) is in stock in the Business Information Centre.
Magazine and Periodical Collection
Business Information - Web Guide
We have compiled a list of useful and informative websites in such areas as company information, finance, and starting your own business.
Business Courses and Programmes
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