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LIBRARIES BUILD BUSINESS

A man and woman collaborating at a table in a library
America’s libraries propel entrepreneurship and economic opportunity in virtually every community across the United States. Guided by a mission of bridging gaps in access to information resources and education, libraries are an important infrastructure that can be leveraged to tackle economic divides and connect individuals to resources that support business development. 
FAST FACTS

NEARLY HALF

of U.S. libraries provide free services to entrepreneurs looking to start and grow their business.

$2 MILLION

distributed to libraries by ALA as part of its “Libraries Build Business” initiative.

15,000+

small business owners impacted by “Libraries Build Business” projects.
Nearly all public libraries offer baseline support for entrepreneurs by providing meeting spaces, public computers, and internet access, as well as access to e-books, magazines, and newspapers. Many libraries of all types offer introductory and advanced support such as locally relevant business start-up classes, market research help and database access, and guidance in leveraging social media and other online tools. Some libraries even help get potential ideas off the ground, such as the University of Iowa’s Lichtenberger Engineering Library and the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez, which serve as designated Patent and Trademark Resource Centers by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. 
Just as libraries have invested in supporting small businesses, the American Library Association has invested in building capacity for our libraries to offer impactful programs and services to local entrepreneurs and the small business community. ALA’s Libraries Build Business initiative, which ran from 2020-2022 with support from Google.org, partnered with 13 public libraries of all sizes across the U.S., awarding them grants of up to $150,000 to develop or expand their programs and services for aspiring and existing small business owners and entrepreneurs.
Photo of a woman behind a vendor table.
Baltimore County Public Library invites local entrepreneurs to participate in a pop-up marketplace at several of the library's branches. Photo courtesy of Baltimore County Public Library.

FROM THE FIELD

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there are 34.8 million small businesses in the United States, accounting for 99.9% of all U.S. businesses and employing 59 million Americans—nearly half the country’s workforce. Libraries like Baltimore County Public Library in Maryland are investing in their success.
BCPL’s Pop-Up Shops program invites local vendors—from jewelry and candle makers to photographers to tutors and more—to participate in a pop-up marketplace at several of the library’s branches. Along with providing free space to participate, the library also conducts vendor preparation classes with tips on organizing a vendor table, developing a sales story, and more.
BCPL’s Pop-Up Shops attract many vendors who participated in the library’s Entrepreneur Academy, a collaboration between BCPL and the Enoch Pratt Free Library that teaches many of the fundamentals of starting a small business, including market research, business structure, insurance and legal issues, and more. The program began in 2019 and was one of 13 projects to receive a Libraries Build Business grant from ALA.

FOR OUR LIBRARIES

Libraries are investing in America’s business community, and it’s up to us to invest in our libraries. The American Library Association provides training and funding opportunities for libraries and library workers across the U.S., but we need your help. When you become a supporter of the ALA, you help fund our efforts to advocate for library funding, improve the skills of library workers, and improve our communities. 

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An initiative of

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