2017 MLA Annual Conference

With complimentary and cooperative approaches to business reference and services, librarians from Hennepin County Library, James J. Hill Center, and St. Paul Public Library serve entrepreneurs at every stage of business development. We will review the 2017 entrepreneurial landscape and how it is changing (i.e. rise of microenterprise; rates of minority, immigrant, and women-owned start-ups; contributions to employment and local economies), outline our services to entrepreneurs, discuss how our unique approaches provide full coverage for entrepreneurs, review case studies, and show how to build small business programs. Our organizations' service to small business owners and entrepreneurs exemplifies the power of radical librarianship to "assist our patrons to build a better future."We are encouraging private enterprise in public spaces and providing a tangible return on the investment made in the public and nonprofit spheres.