With an estimated 500,000 new small businesses launched annually and an incredibly high failure rate -- 80% within the first year, according to the Small Business Administration (SBA) -- the appetite for affordable tools and information has become enormous. Indeed, there are more than 117,000 libraries across the country, and a growing number of them now provide dedicated sections and resources for helping entrepreneurs.
...
The sheer volume of library resources available is staggering. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that many could rival an MBA program in terms of the tools they offer for instruction and information -- available for little or no cost.
Well, we couldn't have said it better ourselves, and we were thrilled to see such a wonderful testimony about the value of libraries to the business community. The article mentions several public libraries:
Brooklyn Public Library's Business Library, "one of the nation's premier public libraries dedicated exclusively to business, finance and entrepreneurship." ResourceShelf especially likes PowerUP!: Your Business Starts Here, an annual business plan competition sponsored by the library, which "gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to strengthen their business knowledge, learn about business trends and gain insights about starting or growing a business as they are introduced to using the resources at BPL's Business Library."
Enoch Pratt Free Library's Business Center. ResourceShelf especially likes Starting Your Small Business Successfully, an online guide which "provides an outline of steps to take and resources important for creating a successful business or new product, or for expanding your existing business."
On a larger scale, we've ferreted out some meta-resources for you, such as:
The Canada-Ontario Business Center's Business Information Services at Ontario’s public libraries page which, in addition to general information about what libraries have to offer, includes a collection of subject guides (in the blue navigation bar on the left side of the page, under "Popular Topics").
At the National Library of Australia, you'll want to browse the collection of E-Resources for Business & Commerce; E-Resources include "websites, indexes, full-text e-journals and subject guides."
The FreePint Family is a family of resources to help information workers be more effective, raise the value of information in their organisations and contribute to success.
'FreePint... provides most of my professional development because it won't come through work and [other resources] just don't cut it.'
FUMSI Forum: Do you have a research question? Post it to the FUMSI Forum, where professionals share Q&A and useful tips on how to Find, Use, Manage and Share Information. It's free.
FreePint Shop:
VIP LiveWire:
