NPR: “Beyond Books: How A Public Library in Ohio’s Rust Belt Is Spurring Economic Growth”

From National Public Radio:

Back in 2018, [the Toledo Lucas County Public Library] was one of 12 public library systems awarded grants through the Urban Libraries Council to explore ways to engage entrepreneurs in their communities, particularly people of color, women, immigrants and veterans.

Six years later, the Toledo Lucas County Public Library is leading the way. This summer, the library officially opened its small business and nonprofit workspace.

Tucked in the basement of a stately 1940s art deco building, the brightly-lit room has flexible meeting spaces, cubicles and computers for anyone to use.

Librarians hold drop-in hours and take one-on-one appointments. They also hosts classes on topics like bookkeeping, grant writing and business plan development.

And it’s all free.

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Gone are the days when the public library was just about books. Today, it’s where people go to use the internet, get legal advice and pick up COVID tests.

And now, there’s a movement among public libraries to become hubs of entrepreneurship.

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Filed under: Funding, Libraries, News, Public Libraries