How Do We Add Value?

Nicolette Warisse Sosulski, MLISBusiness Librarian, Portage District Library

Stereotype

• Bunhead Shusher

• Storytimes

• Moldy Books

• Card Catalog

• Study Carrels

• Agatha Christie, Danielle

Steel, Tom Clancy, Janet

Evanovich

• Introverted Book Custodian

• Protected Public Servant in

Book-filled Sanctuary

Business Librarian

• Search Ninja

• Market Research Classes

• Recent Statistics & Databases

• Internet Guru

• Wi-Fi on the Road

• Guy Kawasaki, Chris

Anderson, Sheryl

Sandberg, Seth Godin

• Community Networker

• Tough Cookie

• Weird Brain

• Exposure to multiple disciplines

• Search Term Strategist

• Classes in Taxonomy and Classification ( otherwise known as “what would they call it and where would they have put it?”)

• Practice, Practice, Practice (I probably have 20K hours of searching under my belt. One learns stuff)

Search Ninja

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One program rather than

desired list

Instead of those Moldy Books and Romance Novels that you pictured, would these be helpful? (Warning: Library Collections May Vary)

Instead of those Moldy Books and Romance Novels you pictured, would these be helpful? (Warning: Library Collections May Vary)

Instead of those Moldy Books and Romance Novels that you pictured, would these be helpful? (Warning: Library Collections May Vary)

Instead of those Moldy Books and Romance Novels that you pictured, would these be helpful? (Warning: Library Collections May Vary)

Instead of those Moldy Books, Romance Novels, would these be helpful? (Warning: Library Collections May Vary)

Instead of those Moldy Books and Romance Novels that you pictured, would these be helpful? (Warning: Library Collections May Vary)

Instead of those Moldy Books and Romance Novels that you pictured, would these be helpful? (Warning: Library Collections May Vary)

Search Sectors

Search Terms

Related Fields

Industry Classification

Business News

Market Trends

Census Statistics

Professional Associations

Reliability Validation

Market Researcher

Databases are collections of articles, research findings, patents, directory listings, or other information points that are collected in searchable and sortable formats.

Library budgets in the digital age are more and more heading to these types of resources. If we still have print, it is because of availability, or more likely, cost.

Databases. Look for these on every library web page. They may be under “online resources” or “research tools.”

Market research is more and more searching the web and databases. Ask your library if they will partner with you to offer search and market research courses. I teach Business Research Essentials once a month and get referrals from the SBTDC and SCORE, among others. Even if you have access to research through the SBTDC for a start-up, the entrepreneur who is updating his or her business plan regularly needs to be able to do some of it on his or her own.

Trainer Coach

In your business we know it gets tough. Things get real—we get that. It does not get much more real than the public library….

We have to meet a budget, balance inventory costs vs. personnel costs, keep stakeholders satisfied to maintain cash flow, and do more with less. Sound familiar?

Tough Cookie

• Some-Assembly-Required Analysis

• Professional Associations and Publications

• Contacting other libraries to see if they have something

we do not

• Interlibrary Loan

• Professional Referrals

You

• Knowledge of your business

• Knowledge of your industry (though we will help you better that through market research assistance)

• Explanation of information needs and timeframes

• Some assembly possibly required—analysis or bringing together of data from multiple sources may be necessary

Librarian

• Search strategist

• Source expert and friend of

source experts

• Source location and/or

acquisition assistant

• Search coach, trainer, and

consultant rather than

researcher on retainer

(though some libraries do

offer research for a fee)

Public Libraries

• May have generalists

rather than a business

specialist

• Open to all—even those

from out of district

• Databases usually

accessible in-house even

without library card

• Can interlibrary loan for

cardholders

• Primary focus is

cardholders in the library

district

Academic Libraries

• More likely to have a

specialty business liaison

• Some sources may be

restricted

• Some access to the

library may be restricted in

case of private

institutions. Many online

resources accessible from

within the building

• Larger collection budget

• Primary focus is university

community

There is no universal library card good at all libraries—not even for librarians. We can usually see the electronic resources they have but can’t get into them—only those who are taxpayers in that library district or affiliated with that college or university can access the resources paid for by their taxes or tuition dollars. However, the Library of Michigan through the Michigan eLibrary at www.mel.org, provides a quality set of online resources for all Michiganders, as well as the opportunity to see the holdings of other libraries and borrow them through MeLCat, if your library participates in MeLCat.

Lets Get

to Work!