New York SBDC Research Network

From Medium Dear budding entrepreneur: Your local library is one of the most powerful tools you have to launch a successful business. As EveryLibrary writes, “Librarians can serve as an extension of your staff and will help you harness the power of these resources to grow your business.” Sometimes misidentified as repositories for dusty books, today’s libraries are actually cutting edge information hubs designed to help people get the resources, materials and connections they need, whether for work, school, pleasure or all of the above. Library staffers and resource librarians are some of the smartest folks around — and they’re on a mission to help you get information. If you’re an entrepreneur, an established business owner, or just thinking about starting a business, head down to your local library. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the role the library staff and resources can play in helping you start and grow a business. Here are just a few ways libraries support entrepre...

Mary Climes, Head of Reference at the Middletown (NY) Thrall Library, and Thrall reference librarian Robert Tiess have created (and continue to update) a resource guide concerning the earthquake crisis in Haiti . They have done so, as they have done "in the past with other guides in our Special Coverage Center, for the dual benefit of our local library system members and the larger world of online users." Topics include: ◦About Haiti ◦About Earthquakes ◦Charity & Relief Organizations ◦Contact Information ◦Embassies & Consulate ◦Health Information & Issues ◦Photographs & Photojournalism ◦Maps of Haiti & Earthquake Zone ◦Missing Persons Searches ◦News & Special Coverage ◦U.S. Government Information ◦U.S. Military Support Missions ◦United Nations (UN) & International Information ◦Library Resources & Research Keywords *** IRS Notice 2010-16 designates the Haiti earthquake occurring in January 2010 as a qualified disaster for purposes of § 139 of t...

This article appeared a few months ago, so my bad for not getting it out there earlier. It's written by a public librarian in the Detroit area, and it chronicles how libraries have become such a vital part of a community that has experienced a great deal of economic turmoil. In many ways, what her library - and her role within it - reminds me of our centers, and how they can become a pathway to opportunity for our clients. Both librarians and business advisors act as willing providers of ideas, services, loan programs, etc., to an audience badly in need of hearing about them. Hence, this article. Hope you like it.