Business Services
Your Library understands that the key to successful business management and healthy growth is convenient and swift access to the best resources. We provide reference services and library resources to help Charlotte-Mecklenburg area businesses succeed.
Local Business Resources
Library Resource Spotlight: MasterFILE Premier
MasterFILE Premier
A database of full-text magazines, journals, and reference books, as well as photo, map, and flag files dating back to 1917. Titles include popular magazines like Consumer Reports, Car and Driver, Country Living, Elle, Essence, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s Bazaar, and Popular Mechanics alongside an expansive list of scholarly and trade publications.
Register for a Business Research 1-on-1
Upcoming Business Services Events
Does your business need:
- Lists of companies in your target market?
- Lists of competitors in your geographic area?
- Names of executives to contact?
- Demographic statistics, trends, and maps?
- Industry data from nearby and from around the world?
- Content for your webpage, tweets, or newsletter?
- Classes on using technology to increase productivity?
Your library has all this and more. Find more information in the Business Resources: Starting a Business LibGuide
Additionally, your library has spaces to meet and work. Meet informally at one of the 20 locations across the county or rent a room for a larger meeting. Your local branch has all the basics - free wifi, Internet and computer access, and Microsoft Office products.
Not sure where to start? Ask to speak with a Librarian at one of our 20 libraries around Mecklenburg County.
Government Documents Resources
Statistics, reports, and other information published by the government, which can be found through through various websites, can be used to support your business research. GovInfo is a one-stop shop for accessing published, official U.S. Government information online. The Census Bureau provides demographic information to tell you more about potential customers and competitors. The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides information on employment, labor, and trends in over 100 industries. Below, we've highlighted some resources related to upcoming events.
Tax Season is Here!
The IRS mission is to provide America's taxpayers top quality service by helping them understand and meet their tax responsibilities and to enforce the law with integrity and fairness to all.
Statutory authority
The IRS is organized to carry out the responsibilities of the Treasury secretary per Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 7801. The IRS was created based on the secretary's authority to administer and enforce the internal revenue laws.
The Internal Revenue Service announced that tax relief is available for businesses in North Carolina that were affected by Hurricane Helene. You can find that announcement on the IRS website: IRS announces tax relief for victims of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina; various deadlines postponed to May 1, 2025 | Internal Revenue Service
What is DiscoverGov?
DiscoverGov provides simple, one-stop searching across multiple U.S. Federal government databases including GPO's Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) and GovInfo.
It will retrieve reports, articles, and citations while providing direct links to selected resources and publications available online.
March is Women's History Month The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.
Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist
One of the defining artists of the 20th century, Elizabeth Catlett addressed the injustices she witnessed and experienced in America and Mexico through her bold prints and dynamic sculptures. See more than 150 of her creations in this exhibition, including rarely seen paintings and drawings.
Image credit: Elizabeth Catlett, Links Together, 1996, lithograph on wove Arches paper, National Gallery of Art, Purchased as the Gift of Art Information Volunteers in Honor of Dianne Stephens, 2021.63.1. © 2024 Mora-Catlett Family / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
April is Arab American Heritage Month Americans of Arab heritage have advanced the nation’s achievements in diplomacy, science, technology, as well as in art and culture.
In 1962, Dr. Alixa Naff set out to tell the story of Arab American immigrants from Syria and Lebanon. In addition to investigating an area that had received little scholarly attention, her use of oral history as the basis of the research was innovative. In 1984, Naff donated her collection including the oral histories, archival materials, and artifacts to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. You can read about her in "Voices from the past: Arab American Oral Histories" and explore items from her collection and others related to Arab American history and culture from across the Smithsonian.
Image: [George Elicas Doumar using waffle cone making machine: black-and-white glass plate negative.] Image Credit