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The role of public libraries in urban entrepreneurship
Journal of Urban Regeneration and Renewal,
16
(3),
267-276
(2023)
Abstract
While public libraries are commonly perceived in their role of providing access to books, many urban public libraries are finding new ways to contribute to local economic growth through services to entrepreneurs and small business owners. This paper explores the unique audiences that public libraries can reach, the assets they provide, explorations into the entrepreneurship ecosystem, and two case studies of library systems. Public libraries provide economic benefits through their physical buildings, economic mobility programmes and services, particularly their workforce development offerings. Building on this, targeted business outreach to entrepreneurs creates a new opportunity for economic impact. As inventoried by public library staff, libraries provide physical space, technology and equipment, training and education and research service assets to local entrepreneurs. The two case studies of urban public libraries in the US, Mid-Continent Public Library, Missouri and Spokane Public Library (SPL), Washington, show different service models to entrepreneurs and business owners and aligned partners. As public libraries continue to evolve their service models in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are additional opportunities for the library to contribute to their local economic recovery.
Keywords: public library; entrepreneurship; urban; entrepreneurship ecosystem; equitable entrepreneurship
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Elizabeth (Betsey) Suchanic Betsey Suchanic is an Inclusive Economic Development Adviser at the New Growth Innovation Network (NGIN), Washington, DC. In this role, she supports local economic development practitioners across the US to plan for equity in their local cities, counties and regions. Before her role at NGIN, she was a Senior Program Manager at the Urban Libraries Council. She led peer-learning communities of public libraries across the US and Canada in building economic opportunity, digital equity and impact measurement models. Her background includes working in small business development, microlending, marketing, graphic design and her own experience as a business owner. She holds a BS in marketing communications and studio art from Mary Baldwin University and an MPA from the University of Delaware’s Biden School of Public Policy.
Mark Pond has been the Business Research Librarian with the Spokane Public Library since 2006. From 1998–2006, Mark worked in a similar capacity for the Seattle Public Library as well as the University of Washington Libraries. In the course of his work at the Spokane Public Library, Mark has built a world-class collection of freely available business research tools. Ranging from competitive analysis to sales lead development to retail site selection to demographics research to on-demand workforce education, the Spokane Public Library has amassed a set of business research resources that is unmatched in the public library world. In recognition of this work, Mark was the 2021 recipient of the American Library Association’s BRASS Excellence in Business Librarianship award.
Morgan Perry is a managing consultant at Avalution Consulting. Morgan contributed to the development of Avalution’s Business Continuity Operating System and has built and managed world-class business continuity programmes for organisations in a variety of industries and all sizes. Prior to Avalution, Morgan served in the US Army, specialising in operational leadership and contingency planning. He is an Associate Member of the Business Continuity Institute and was awarded the Business Continuity Institute’s Global Continuity and Resilience Newcomer of the Year in 2018.
