business community

Morris Library Supports Business Community with One Resource

| Originally published on Morristown Patch | Morris Library cardholders now have access to Gale Small Business Builder, a step-by-step online planning tool for starting, managing and optimizing a business or nonprofit organization. The program’s intuitive dashboard walks users through five areas of exploration in order to develop a business plan focused on long-term success. … Read more

Mid-Continent Public Library Offers New Tools for Entrepreneurs

| Originally published by Starland News, sponsored by Mid-Continent Public Library | With more than 30 libraries in the Kansas City region, the Mid-Continent Public Library offers entrepreneurs a wealth of tools beyond books on shelves. From databases to software to an array of events, MCPL provides a trove of information to better build a … Read more

Entrepreneurs Lack the Resources Necessary to Start Successful Businesses

Public Libraries support local business

Librarians can find themselves in difficult positions when budding entrepreneurs, in search of answers that may determine the SteveAssarianfate of their businesses, rush into the library. Steven Assarian, a business librarian at Grand Rapids Public Library, remembers well the day he found himself in such a situation. “An entrepreneur obviously interested in serving tourists came in and asked very specifically whether a particular town was a resort town,” Assarian recalled.

Not only is it Assarian’s job to provide consultation for entrepreneurs in need of business plans, but he’s also responsible for teaching business research techniques to classes of between 10-20  people. The ability to locate and use relevant information during the formation of a startup is a determining factor in whether the business will succeed. The pressure on librarians like Assarian to link entrepreneurs with current and rich data can be great.

“Usually these are people who really need help,” Assarian said. “They just don’t know what’s available or where to begin the process.”

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Promoting the Role of Libraries in Community Development with National Media Campaign

EveryLibrary advocacy for public libraries

By Kristina Massari

In support of National Library Week, organizations partner to raise awareness of resources public libraries provide for entrepreneurs and start-ups

Gale, a part of Cengage Learning, is partnering with EveryLibrary, a national non-profit organization dedicated to non-partisan political action on behalf of libraries, for a media campaign to increase awareness of the role libraries play in community and economic development. The partnership demonstrates Gale’s advocacy on behalf of libraries and its support of National Library Week, observed this year from April 12-18.

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