Entrepreneurial Library Services

Money attracts money, and if we spend money in a way where people can actually see it, it will have the affect of bolstering our efforts to get even more government and grant funding. Counterintuitive, yes, but I think we all know this principle. (Ie - banks only lend money to people who don't really need it, etc.)

In this blog post (with link to original article), the Associate Dean of the University Libraries of Virginia Tech posits some ideas about where libraries are along the Innovators to Laggards spectrum of entrepreneurialism.

In the graphic, an example project for Innovator libraries is experimenting with 3D printing, whereas the Laggards are only now setting up a Facebook page.

What technologies should we be investing in? I've been interested in 3D printing, but I'm even more keen on offering print-on-demand technology. I'd also love to get funding (and space) for a mulitmedia lab for customers to create audio and video projects.

Ultimately, I think it's our responsibility to invest in technology and offer services that are prohibitive to individuals. What other services should we be looking into?

I would be happy to research and start grant writing for these services, by the way.

Raising the Library's Profile - the art of being real

As we move forward into a digital era, it will become more important for libraries to nurture, stengthen and eventually expose its human side. A library's strength will no longer be the gateway to information in an age where any basement computer terminal can lead you to the down the same information pathways. Rather, our strength will be in how our *people* enliven and enrich the lives of other people.

I believe we will have to veer away from a focus on acquiring data and direct our focus on the humans who need that data.

"People are looking for real people who speak from the heart... [l]ibraries have this in spades. We have many stories to tell that will illustrate our value to customers and we should be 'shouting these stories from the rooftops.' " - Audra Caplan, President of the PLA and retired director of Harford County Public Library.

Call for ideas

I have my own ideas about ways we can do this (including putting together librarian profiles outlining who we really are, what our passions are, what we love about library service, etc.), but I'm curious what everyone else thinks. Any other ideas?

ebooks and ereaders?

This is based on no research and really only personal anecdotal OPINION but I believe that ereaders will be short-lived.  Note, I did not say ebooks, but eREADERS!  Currently, I do most of my pleasure reading on my phone.  I need to figure out how to do a poll on here and see what you all do.