Entrepreneurship and more!

Citation

Mitchell, E. and Watstein, S.B. (2015), "Entrepreneurship and more!", Reference Services Review, Vol. 43 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-06-2015-0029

Entrepreneurship and more!

Article Type: Editorial From: Reference Services Review, Volume 43, Issue 3

This issue’s theme of entrepreneurship was inspired by ALA BRASS – the Business Reference and Services Section – and specifically by the 2014 BRASS Preconference “How Business Librarians Support Entrepreneurs”. Held on June 24, 2014, this full-day workshop addressed common information needs of entrepreneurs, including locating information about their market, industry, competitors and customers for both “Main Street” and technology start-ups, and which free or premium resources to use. Speakers discussed existing best practices in local small business support along with examples of collaboration with entrepreneurship faculty. Participants had the opportunity to learn what constitutes acceptable use of subscription business e-resources by entrepreneurs, and how to work with vendors to avoid infringement claims.

The theme issue “call” for manuscripts intentionally cast a broad net, reflecting the complexity of this dynamic topic. The “call” noted that papers might focus on:

• the information, reference and research needs of today’s entrepreneurs, including, for example, youth entrepreneurs, minority entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship in higher education (student and faculty developers, etc.), global entrepreneurship, internet entrepreneurship, and social entrepreneurship;

• best practices for service design/delivery to meet the needs of student and faculty developers as well as entrepreneurs in our communities;

• case studies with a focus on academic library support for undergraduate and graduate students who are studying entrepreneurship, involved in applied learning experiences in this area;

• case studies with a focus on academic library support for entrepreneurs in our communities: case studies, best practices, creating an entrepreneur-friendly public library, etc.;

• the entrepreneurial imperative: opportunities for libraries and librarians;

• the librarian as entrepreneur;

• the knowledge entrepreneur;

• making the case for “thinking” libraries and librarians when talking about entrepreneurship; and

• literature review.

This theme issue is co-edited by Louise Feldmann and Beth Kaylor. Feldmann serves as Business Librarian/Associate Professor, Colorado State University Libraries; she can be reached at mailto:Louise.Feldmann@Colostate.edu. Kaylor serves as Coordinator of Business, Entrepreneurship and Government Information Research, William Madison Randall Library, University of North Carolina Wilmington. She can be reached at mailto:Kaylorj@uncw.edu

Feldmann and Kaylor participated in theme issue development, including drafting the theme issue “call,” and suggesting “call” distribution; suggesting authors/articles for the issue; liaising at the front-inquire-end with select authors; reviewing one or more manuscripts following RSR Reviewing Guidelines in their response, and using the Manuscript Review form and ScholarOne system.

Readers will find a variety of perspectives and experiences reflected in the manuscripts that comprise the core of this theme issue. Arguello provides guidance to librarians struggling with compliance for entrepreneurial uses of licensed databases in libraries. Feldmann offers an environmental scan of small business development centers and libraries. Dedicated business centers in public libraries are Macdonald’s interest. Academic and public libraries are Hoppenfeld’s focus in a manuscript titled “Engaging with Entrepreneurs in Academic and Public Libraries.” Franks further narrows her focus in her article on entrepreneur assistance and economic development in Florida libraries. O’Neill turns his attention to the Business Model Canvas as a platform for business information literacy instruction. Pun approaches some of these issues from a different angle and considers the embedded librarian as an entrepreneur in a startup university. The issue also includes, a Q/A with practitioners Cramer and Scanlon, discussing their experiences teaching credit classes for entrepreneurship research. Added practical value is provided by Griffis in his reflections on one academic library’s strategy of collaborating with community agencies to assist community entrepreneurs.

Readers will not want to miss two “non-theme” manuscripts in the issue - Hottinger’s, Zagami-Lopez’ and Bryndzia’s exploration of “FYI for FYE” (20-minute instruction for library orientation) and Wilcox’s, Castro-Gessner’s and Chandler’s thoughtful consideration of the intersection between LibGuide authors and LibGuide users.

Forthcoming theme issue on health literacy

Reference Services Review is seeking authors to write on the theme of library support for health literacy in any type of library setting. Proposals/abstracts are due November 1, 2015, with articles due February 2016. Send proposals/abstracts or inquiries to: Theresa Arndt: mailto:arndtt@dickinson.edu

Eleanor Mitchell - Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, USA, and

Sarah Barbara Watstein - William Madison Randall Library, University of North Carolina Wilmington,Wilmington, North Carolina, USA