New MeL Business Resources Training will be offered by Jackson College, Jackson District Library and Woodlands Library Cooperative, in collaboration with the Library of Michigan, Gale Cengage Learning and CIVICTechnologies. The training session will be held on Thursday, August 22, 2013 from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm at Jackson College in Jackson, MI. There is no cost for this training and lunch will be provided by Gale Cengage and CIVICTechnologies. Participants will learn about MeL's new powerful business tools that can assist in economic and business development. Economic development organizations, Chambers of Commerce, and others engaged in small business development are welcome to attend. For registration information go to http://fs22.formsite.com/jcclibrary/form4/index.html , or go to http://woodlands.lib.mi.us/handbook/business.pdf for an informational flier. The Databases that will be explored include: DemographicsNow: Business & People - provides comprehensive business and demographic information for users to assess business viability, create sales leads and mailing lists, complete location analyses and business plans, analyze population trends, compare geographies and demographics, find potential sponsors and more. This versatile database is useful for those who want to start a business as well as those who want to take their established business to the next level. LegalForms Library - provides official attorney forms and documents in Word format helping users to deal with their legal needs - whether for business, personal or litigation purposes. Continuously updated to reflect current state laws, Gale Legal Forms also includes a law digest, legal questions and answers, and an attorney directory. Business Insights: Global - combines an international perspective and sophisticated research tools with convenient access to a range of comprehensive learning materials. Using case studies, statistical data sources, news articles, academic journals, and topical reference materials organized by country, company, and industry, this resource is especially useful to business faculty and students, as wells as to Michigan businesses interested in expansion. New nonfiction business eBooks, including Encyclopedia of Global Brands, Business Leader Profiles for Students, Ward's Business Directory of Private and Public Companies in Mexico and Canada, Business Plans Handbooks, and more. BusinessDecision - helps small businesses and entrepreneurs succeed by increasing their market share and growing their clientele. BusinessDecision offers professional level capabilities that combine the highest quality consumer market data such as the Tapestry lifestyle segmentation system, consumer spending data, demographic and housing data, population estimates, and forecasts using Census data with state of the art mapping technology. These new business eResources available in the Michigan eLibrary (MeL) actively support researchers of all kinds including business students, local entrepreneurs and business owners, as well as others looking for access to global business intelligence. The resources and services have been purchased through funding allocated in the budget of Michigan Governor, Rick Snyder, as part of his "Economic Gardening" initiative to grow businesses in the state. All Michigan libraries and all Michigan residents can access these digital resources via the Michigan eLibrary ( <http://mel.org/> MeL), the Library of Michigan's online home for digital resources. For additional information contact Stephanie Davis, Jackson College, at <mailto:davisstephand@jccmi.edu> davisstephand@jccmi.edu.