Hennepin County Library: INFORM--Research Services and Documents on Demand

INFORM is the nonprofit, fee-based, research service of the Hennepin County Library. We are information experts! We use a wide range of the best and most current information sources to answer your research and document needs, including the outstanding collections of several Twin Cities area libraries, Internet and online resources, trade and professional associations, publishers of specialized information sources, government agencies, and other library collections around the country. We are also supported by the expertise of the Hennepin County Library's professional staff.

Our clients include:

Small Businesses
Multinational Corporations
Law Firms
Marketing Consultants
Advertising/Public Relations Professionals
Media Organizations
Investment Firms
Engineering Firms
Individuals

We make every effort to get you the information you need within your budget.

You may use our online request forms to ask for a free consultation and estimate. All transactions are confidential.

Research Services

We can help you do business smarter and faster. Whether you need an extensive industry analysis or an annual report, a detailed mailing list or a single magazine article, INFORM can meet your information needs. Even if your company already has an information library, our experienced, professional researchers can offer you valuable support. We specialize in gathering information quickly and economically, saving you time to focus on analysis and solutions.

Our research services include:

Company Profiles: Current and projected financial data, company trends, competitor information, annual reports, public filings, executive information, company history.

Industry Profiles: Lead players, current and projected financial data, industry trends, industry association research, consumer data.

Market Research: Current, comprehensive information on any business issue.

Mailing Lists: For companies, organizations or individuals.

Literature Searches and Historical Research: Find out what's been written on nearly any subject. Customized current awareness/clipping services available.

Trademark Searches: Preliminary searches of US, Canadian, and foreign trademarks, brand names and company names.*

We serve customers regardless of location with delivery options to meet your deadlines. Research results and documents can be sent via fax, email, U.S. mail, FedEx/UPS, or courier services. Normal turnaround time is one to three days; rush service is also available.

Some Examples of Questions We Research:

An address list for Minnesota and Wisconsin companies with annual revenues over $20M using SIC code 2431 (Millwork).
The rate of inflation in the US, month-by-month, during the 1980's.
Recent news articles and industry research on online retailing ("e-tailing").
Research on the current status and recent trends in the automotive aftermarket. Identify lead players, giving sales figures and current articles on the top ten companies. Also find news or market research information on ecommerce and the automotive aftermarket.
Identify the total of snow-removal vehicles in use by state agencies in the U.S.
Research data on Gen-Xers use of the Internet.
High quality/resolution images of olive trees at different stages of development.
All the floor debates and committee hearings on the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act Labor-Management Relations Act.

Documents on Demand

We will provide same-day or next-day service for specific magazine articles, directory listings, patents, books, or other resources from many local area libraries, including the Hennepin County Library, the University of Minnesota libraries, Hennepin County Law Library, the University of St. Thomas, Augsburg College, Macalester College, and the College of St. Catherine.

No "rush" fees for locally available documents! Substantial discounts are available on larger orders and to clients billed monthly.

Even if the source is not locally available we can get if for you from suppliers around the country and abroad. INFORM functions as Hennepin County Library's expedited InterLibrary Loan service in compliance with Section 108(g)(2) Guidelines (CCG).

Documents can be provided in hardcopy, electronic text, or scanned full-image. We can get them to you via email, fax, CD-ROM, Overnight express (FedEx, UPS, or Airborne), local courier, or US Mail.

Genealogical Services

INFORM can locate obituaries and vital records from local (Minnesota) resources. When contacting us to search for this information, it is important that the information you provide us with is as specific as possible. Some online resources you may wish to consult are:

Ancestry.com

MN State Historical Society Death Certificate Index

The Social Security Death Index

RootsWeb

State of Minnesota Birth/Death Certificate Request form

Minnesota County Records Offices

RESEARCH FEES

$50/hr. for work ready within 1-2 weeks.
$15 minimum charge. Charged in 15 minutes increments.

$70/hr. for work ready within 2-5 working days.
$20 minimum charge. Charged in 15 minutes increments.

$90/hr. for work ready within 24 hours.
$25 minimum charge. Charged in 15 minutes increments.

Plus any costs for purchased services and materials such as online connect fees, special reports, courier and express shipping charges, or external document delivery.

Free incidentals for all research services:

Files on floppy disk
Faxing
Photocopies
Computer printouts
Long distance telephone calls

DOCUMENT DELIVERY FEES

No "rush" fees for locally available documents! Substantial discounts are available on larger orders and to clients billed monthly. Even if the source is not locally available we can get if for you from suppliers around the country and abroad.

INFORM functions as Hennepin County Library's expedited InterLibrary Loan service in compliance with Section 108(g)(2) Guidelines (CCG).

Documents can be provided in hardcopy, electronic text, or scanned full-image. We can get them to you via email, fax, CD-ROM, Overnight express (FedEx, UPS, or Airborne), local courier, or US Mail.

Photocopies:

For 1-3 items (per order or billed monthly): $15 per item
For 4-7 items (per order or billed monthly): $12.50 per item
For 8-12 items (per order or billed monthly): $10 per item
For 13 or more items (per order or billed monthly): $7.50 per item

First 3 pages per document included; after that, 25 cents per page for photocopies, 50 cents per page for scanned or long-distance faxed pages.

Books or other circulating items:

$15 per loan

OBITUARIES

$15 per obituary (7 day search from date of death)

All other genealogical services, including obtaining public records, will be charged at the research rate. Please note: As with all INFORM service fees, the fees are for staff time and not for the information supplied. Therefore, obituary search fees will be charged even if an obituary is not located.

METHOD OF PAYMENT

VISA, MasterCard, and American Express credit cards are accepted. Special arrangements for invoicing may be negotiated.

Contact Us

INFORM Research Services
300 Nicollet Mall, 2nd Floor
Minneapolis, MN 55401

(PHONE) 612-630-6020
(FAX) 612-630-6030
(E-MAIL) inform@mplib.org

You can use our convenient online request forms to send us your request for a cost estimate on your project. A staff member will respond with a free consultation.

*DISCLAIMER: The Hennepin County Library (MPL), through its INFORM service, is pleased to assist its clients in obtaining information from certain databases of patent, trademark, copyright, and business information. However, for various reasons, including the subjective and often highly technical nature of patent, trademark, and copyright searching, MPL cannot guarantee that the searches are complete or that the information is error free. Clients are urged to seek advice from an attorney or other specialist in the field of intellectual property to verify the completeness and accuracy of, or to supplement, the research provided by MPL.

The client acknowledges that the modest amount charged by MPL for assisting in this research represents a small portion of the overall cost of the project for which this information will be used. These charges are based, in part, upon MPL's expectation that the risk of any loss or injury which might be incurred in reliance upon this information will be born by you. MPL cannot, therefore, assume any risk for the loss or injury that might result from reliance on the information provided. Furthermore, you are solely responsible for ensuring that the information provided is sufficiently complete and accurate for your intended purpose.

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