Many users come to the library for small business support, especially at the ideation stage as they investigate options and resources for developing a business plan, identify funding sources and research other start-up activities.
A great way to connect local entrepreneurs with business eBooks is to create a custom subcollection or search widget, linked directly from your library’s business resources page. These technique shortcuts a search of the A-Z list of databases and provides additional paths to your valuable content.
A Simple Search Brings Forth All Relevant Articles Across a Library’s GVRL eBook Collection
Let’s say a user wants to start a business that offers wedding planner services. A basic search of “wedding planning service” delivers excellent results. The first two results shown below are actually from the Business Plans Handbook, a Gale series.
Because of the GVRL platform’s strong search capability and detailed indexing down to the individual entry level, this user uncovered a sample business plan even though the title is not about cleaning services.
Results from “wedding planning service” search.
Clicking the first result, “Wedding Planning Service,” will send this user to the content associated with the entry. Perhaps even more important, any user interested in starting a small business can also navigate through the title’s entire table of contents and uncover more helpful content.
Click the Table of Contents to reveal a drop-down menu and quickly navigate to a business plan template also available in this volume.
In public libraries, business plan templates are frequently requested by entrepreneurs and potential business owners. Because of GVRL’s unlimited simultaneous access, patrons with an Internet connection will never be turned away from any entry in any title, no matter how many others are using it.
Users can Download and Keep Content
Furthermore, any content that users download will not disappear—so no matter how long it takes them to work on their business plans, they can continue to reference their downloaded content, on- or offline.
Search, Browse, or Read Cover-to-Cover
Because users can search and browse in GVRL, it’s easy to discover additional relevant content. For example, suppose they realize—as a result of reading the administration and management portion of the business plan template—that it’s necessary to increase their management skills. Locating information about that topic is easy!
Click the subject Business in GVRL and browse management-related titles.
Click a title to isolate a search. For example, a user can search the book Competitive Social Media Marketing Strategies. Or click Browse Book to read the title cover-to-cover.
Integrated Collaboration Tools
Now that Gale partnered with Google Apps for Education, it has never been easier for access and save relevant information from GVRL and other popular Gale products. After authentication, users can sign in to use, save, and share Gale content using their Google Account credentials (including Gmail) without having to remember a separate password. Once logged in, users can easily share and download articles — including their highlights and notes — using Google Apps for Education tools include Gmail.
Want more? Scan through more GVRL search tip examples, or watch our Insider Librarian walk through Business Research in GVRL!