Community College Libraries Are Hubs for Entrepreneurship

Start a new business with support from your community college library.

Libraries are excellent educational spaces and can help entrepreneurs develop their businesses and familiarize themselves with economics, growth theory, and the ins and outs of business ownership. When it comes to community colleges, students have even more opportunities to expand their entrepreneurial lexicon. Here are three of our favorite ways community college libraries help young entrepreneurs get started:

Providing Learning Materials

Libraries are treasure troves of knowledge and are excellent resources for anyone looking to learn something new. While all libraries feature a vast array of books, films, and other learning materials to patrons, community college libraries also offer their students some extra perks, including:

Educational Courses

You don’t have to be a business or economics major to take a business course. As an elective, business classes can supplement students’ education and provide them with knowledge and information about running a business related to their field of study. College libraries also host courses or lectures from business experts. For students, admission is free, of course.

Databases for Research

College libraries hold subscriptions and memberships to hundreds of academic databases in a number of industries. Whether it’s science, gender studies, art, literature, or another field, students have 100 percent access to every database in the school library’s repertoire simply by logging in with their student account.

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Creating Space

Community college libraries are often larger than public libraries when it comes to square footage because they offer extra space for studying, meeting with others, and several computer labs. This makes college libraries an excellent space to hold meetings.

Business Clubs

Many college clubs or extracurricular events can be held at the library—with separate meeting rooms, computer labs, and study areas, a club can easily find space to meet regularly without disrupting students trying to read or study.

Meeting Space

A community college library may also host its own sponsored events, like small conventions, speaking seminars, or research courses, to help students familiarize themselves with what their library can do for them. These courses range from specific educational ones—like the basics of economics—to general events like “how to cite a paper” or “how to use an image database.”

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Access to Educators

Business Librarians

Many libraries host specialized librarians who hold expertise in a particular field. Business librarians are one of many specialized librarians who focus on business and entrepreneurship. While not every city’s library system has specialized librarians, community college libraries host a librarian with expertise in each department of study.

Professors

Community college libraries also have one thing that other libraries don’t: professors. Open access to meet with professors from different departments is something that a lot of college students don’t take advantage of. Meeting with your professors to discuss the next steps in course selection or get extra help with a class is incredibly useful. Your professors may even recommend books at the college’s library for you to read.

Looking to Get Your Business Off the Ground?

Check out the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship for even more resources! They have everything you’ll need to start planning, researching, and connecting with your community college’s library system.

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