The Entrepreneurial Librarian

The old image of an entrepreneur as a scrappy, independent risk-taker has been replaced by the reality of individuals incorporating innovative ideas in more traditional settings. This collection of essays illustrates how librarians are infusing entrepreneurial principles in a variety of arenas, including public, private, academic, and special libraries. It chronicles how entrepreneurial librarians are flourishing in the digital age, advocating social change, responding to patron demands, designing new services, and developing exciting fundraising programs. Applying new business models to traditional services, they eagerly embrace entrepreneurship in response to patrons’ demands, funding declines, changing resource formats, and other challenges. By documenting the current state of entrepreneurship in libraries, this volume upends the public image of librarians as ill-suited to risky or creative ventures and places them instead on the cutting edge of innovations in the field.

Although libraries are not businesses, library management must be driven by the same characteristics that make a business successful -- responsibility, performance, and control. Entrepreneurial Librarianship offers specific techniques for creating an entrepreneurial environment in a library or information services organization -- or initiating such techniques where a less-successful operation is already in place.

Although libraries are not businesses, library management must be driven by the same characteristics that make a business successful -- responsibility, performance, and control. Entrepreneurial Librarianship offers specific techniques for creating an entrepreneurial environment in a library or information services organization -- or initiating such techniques where a less-successful operation is already in place.

The changing landscape of business information has created opportunities for business librarians to move beyond being reactive to business information needs to become proactive participants in business development and entrepreneurship instruction. Libraries are no longer only repositories of books but information –rich sources of business and economic data. The case studies presented within this book highlight a variety of examples on entrepreneurship education and local economic development. The examples presented serve as a catalyst for further entrepreneurial endeavours and highlight the growing need for effective value-added support in finding business information. Business librarians play a critical role in promoting the effective use of business information and in providing significant value-added services within university and community settings. This book was published as a special double issue of the Journal of Business & Finance Librarianship.

This is the guide to keep at your side when serving business students, job-seekers, investors, or entrepreneurs in your library.

A timely reference for all public librarians who serve the business community in libraries, regardless of size or location—from small rural outposts to bustling big-city branches. Serving communities today entails serving businesses—in particular, local businesses, entrepreneurs, and those looking to become entrepreneurs. Understandably, many librarians are not prepared for this role, and as a result feel uncomfortable in it. Supporting Local Businesses and Entrepreneurs in the Digital Age: The Public Librarian's Toolkit explains how librarians and libraries can better serve the business community, offering specific guidance on everything from information resources—including books, databases, and free online sites—to programming, special events, marketing, and outreach. Readers will gain insight into key topics ranging from embedded business librarianship, virtual business librarianship, and government documents to seminars, one-on-one appointments, and trade shows. Providing invaluable guidance based on the authors' real-world experience and research as well as interviews with librarians in all sizes of libraries around the country, this book offers practical, actionable advice and proven best practices for serving local business owners and entrepreneurs.

The LITA Leadership Guide will help librarians at every level of the career ladder and will supplement leadership and skill-based training workshops. Library leadership teams interested in the development of their staff as a means of improving their organizational performance will find it to provide context for growth, training, and collaboration.