2023-10-30 SPLAT Curiosity Report: Volume 15, Issue 5

Featured Story

Boost Your Small Business at the Public Library

It can be tough starting a small business. Where exactly do you start? It requires a solid foundation of knowledge, planning and resources. Many people associate libraries with books, and K-12 education & literacy, but they also offer a wealth of resources that support entrepreneurs and small business owners.
 
In addition to physical resources like books, libraries have digital resources such as books, databases, online learning, market research and industry reports. These resources help entrepreneurs and small business owners gain insights, conduct market analysis, enhance product development to contribute to success and growth. Libraries adapt to the needs of entrepreneurs, offering new services and enhancing existing ones to facilitate growth and community connections. Some ways libraries can help your business:

  • Business Planning & Research
  • Market Research
  • Workshops and Trainings
  • Access to Online Resources
  • Mentorship and Networking opportunities
  • Funding and Legal information
  • Co-Working spaces
  • Technology resources
  • Access to industry and community partners

Below are some examples of different types of digital resources offered by other libraries in the country.

Libraries offer a wide range of resources and support for individuals aiming to start and expand their businesses. They provide vital information, guidance, and tools to transform entrepreneurial ideas into thriving enterprises. Utilize your library card to access these valuable resources and enhance your small business.
 
By Mariah Farmer
 
Editor’s note: there are also business resources available on LiLI.org to any Idaho resident, including EBSCO Host’s Small Business Reference Center and Business Source Premier. 

Fail Forward

We’ve all been there. You pour your heart into a program, and no one shows up. You try something new, and you fall on your face. Sound familiar? Fail Forward is the place to share your failures, and give you the opportunity to share what you learned from them. Did you promote your program in a different way after no one showed up? Maybe you took a new approach to the new thing you were excited about? Awesome! Share your story via our online form so others can learn, and realize that failure is often part of the process.

This is why we have checklists…

Outreach is one of those beautiful mixed bags of trying to remember to bring all sorts of different items to various locations. My coworker Leslie has this amazing way of creating checklists and maintaining checklists for our events so that we can remember everything that we need to bring –  and make sure that everything is charged and purchased and properly transported and/or weather proofed. When she is with me for events, I feel so anchored and ready to attack it all. Recently, I was in charge of keeping up with the checklist and making sure I had everything for the station I was in charge of, which was library card sign up at our Farmway village program. Wouldn’t you know, I sort of slacked on the checklist and tried to rely on my trusty memory, and brought everything I needed for this offsite program…except my very own laptop!!! I was very fortunate that nobody needed a library card that day, but it sure did remind me of the value of those checklists! Now, if I could just remember to bring the drill to my next mobile makerspace event so that we can get the support jacks down quickly and NOT have to use the hand crank for them, that would be great…
 
By Monique Gaddy

Crush Corner

Is there a library you follow on social media who is always doing new and exciting things? How about a blog you follow that inspires you? What about a new idea, book, or resource that you want to share? Library Crush Corner is a place for those working in Idaho libraries to share what inspires them, and who or what they’re crushing on… in a professional sense. Share your story via our online form so we can publish it in a future issue!

Brooklyn Public Library – Hip-Hop 50

Brooklyn Public Library is always up to something cool. Recently, they have been hosting all sorts of events to celebrate 50 years of Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop was born in the Brooklyn/New York area so it is terrific to see the library celebrating this part of their local culture. In their own words, Brooklyn Public Library is celebrating hip-hop by “highlight[ing] the contributions of Brooklyn artists through programs that include learning to DJ, graffiti art, breakdancing, spoken word, poetry, fashion, movies, and most of all the music” (Source: Brooklyn Library website). 
 
Hip-Hop 50 isn’t just a library event series, it is a larger cultural celebration to honor the history of Hip-Hop and invest in the genre’s future. If you’d like to read more, check out the official website.
 
By Rebekah Bitikofer

SPLAT explores the ever-evolving library world and supports library folks as they adapt to meet the needs of their communities. Library folk throughout the state of Idaho volunteer to serve on the Special Projects Library Action Team (SPLAT). Learn more about SPLAT at https://libraries.idaho.gov/splat/ 

SPLAT is brought to you by the Idaho Commission for Libraries and was made possible, in part, by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (LS-246156-OLS-20). The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.