PVLD Director's Blog

Libraries and Economic Development

The role libraries can play in economic development is often discussed in terms of the resources we offer - databases, books,workshops, meeting rooms, computers and wireless Internet, etc.  Examples include this article from Kiplinger  about a year ago, or the concept of the "entrepreneurium" referenced in the R. David Lankes presentation I blogged about last week.

Less common is to hear how the mere presence of a library can foster economic development by generating foot traffic and attracting people to commercial areas.  I've seen a few references to this in professional journals, and a local developer of a "senior" condominium development highlighted the benefits of proximity to the library in some of his advertising, but I've never seen anything like this website for a mixed-use (residential and commercial)  development in Everett, Washington - in which everything from the name to the clever use of "library" terminology and imagery is intended to highlight the benefit of living next door to the public library...the website even has a link to the library's website. 

PVLD Librarian Jim O'Grady (and native Washingtonian) shared the link to the Library Place website, and also passed on this quote from the local newspaper - [The project developer] noted that the adjacent library had 400,000 visitors last year that could also be potential customers.

In a commercial district like the one in which our Peninsula Center Library is located, where retail businesses struggle even in the best of times, we need to keep reminding people that things would be much worse without the anchor of the library and its 600,000 visitors each year.

More on libraries and local economies

I had a few spare minutes today so I went trolling through some of the stuff I had saved in Google Reader for future reference and found this post on libraries and local economies by Kate on the Loose Cannon Librarian blog. 

The post references a great article from Time Magazine about how buying local benefits local communities, and articulates better than I did why it is in libraries' self-interest to promote strong local economies -

"Libraries are non-profit organizations that are committed to building a strong community- and while supporting a thriving local economy hasn’t necessarily been a main goal of ours- why shouldn’t it be? If the local economy supports the tax base that in turn funds us, why shouldn’t supporting local business be a main goal of the public library?"

Unlike many libraries, PVLD actually doesn't receive any funding that is directly sales or business-tax related (apart from the 1% of our budget that comes from the State our tax funding comes entirely from local property taxes), but the principle is the same.  A healthy local economy is part of what makes a community attractive and vibrant, and that in turn drives property values and our property tax revenue higher.

In her post Kate proposes that libraries take the lead in forming Local First or similar organizations in their communities.  I'm not sure that is the best solution in every community (in our case it is the Chamber of Commerce that is leading our Local First efforts, with the library as an active supporter), but there are plenty of other things that libraries can do to support and promote local businesses and, as I noted in my earlier post, support the quality of life that also contributes to a healthy local economy.

I loved Kate's conclusion, though -

It’s time that we took a step beyond the community bulletin board and began being the true heart of the community- the one that pumps the blood throughout and ensures a long and prosperous life for those we serve.

Amen!

Libraries and local economies

The subject of what makes a thriving local economy is of interest to me both in my "day job" and in my volunteer work as a member of the Board of Directors of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.

Both the Library District and the Chamber are working, sometimes separately and sometimes together, on how we can support our local businesses and contribute to the creation of a healthy local economy. The Chamber's Local First initiative, the creation of the Zerunyan Center for Business, Entrepreneurship, and Community Development at the Peninsula Center Library, the Zerunyan Center's Inaugural program a couple of weeks ago, and PVLD's efforts to "buy local" are all part of this effort.

What's been on my mind lately, though, is that creating healthy local economies is not just about supporting businesses, it's about creating healthy, vibrant communities....period. 

Los Angeles County recognized this in its recently created Strategic Plan for Economic Development which has as one of it's primary objectives "Make our communities more desirable places to live", which includes improving public safety; improving mobility and reducing traffic congestion; making available a wide range of housing options, including affordable housing; promoting healthy living;and expanding cultural and artistic amenities.  It is clear that libraries can play an important role in many of these areas.

The link between healthy, vibrant communities and economic opportunity was reinforced in a column titled Urban Lands of Opportunity  by Richard Florida in yesterday's New York Times.  The article talks about how the world of work has changed from one in which there was a strict demarcation between "work" and "life" and in where people lived was tied to where they worked to one where the work/life line has become blurred for most people and erased for some, where work can be done in places far removed from the traditional office or job site, and where people increasingly choose where to live based on factors other than having a job, and then find a way to make a living.

I love that Mr. Florida's article specifically calls out the role that libraries can play in this new world of work  -

"This new way of work has given rise to what the sociologist Ray Oldenburg calls “third places” — the Starbucks where we go not just to drink coffee but also to send an e-mail; the hotel lobby where we take a meeting; or the local library where we write a report, edit a document or revise a business plan."

He goes on to describe what makes for a healthy local "land of opportunity" -

"All successful revitalization efforts focus on upgrading existing local assets — developing better ties among colleges, universities and communities, strengthening business districts, upgrading parks and open spaces, preserving and reusing old buildings and supporting local art and music.

SUCH communities are rich in resources for working, learning and simply enjoying life. They are places where people can prosper in their careers while achieving higher levels of well-being."

Providing resources for "working, learning, and simply enjoying life"...now that's a succinct description of what libraries do to support local economies!

 

Libraries Are Good for Business

Late last year PVLD launched the Zerunyan Center for Business, Entrepreneurship and Community Development , intended to be the hub of our services for the business community.  It is also PVLD's first foray into public/private partnerships, in this case between the Library District, local City Council Member Frank Zerunyan, and local corporate and individual sponsors.

The Center is still small, and we have had our share of growing pains as we work through all of the issues associated with bringing new partners with new perspectives (and in some cases a lack of understanding of what we already do) into "our" library world, integrating operation of the center with other library activities and programs, integrating fundraising for the Center with our other fundraising efforts, and identifying which programs and services are most needed by our local business community.

At the same time it has been very rewarding to see how the community, and particularly the business community, has responded.  Apart from enabling the library to expand its services, the Center has also been a means of attracting new library supporters and donors who see (maybe for the first time) that the library is doing something that is directly relevant for them.

I have been wrestling with both how to work through the growing pains and capitalize on the opportunities that the Zerunyan Center presents, so I was excited to come across this Kiplinger article on how "Libraries Are Building Business Buzz" on Friday. 

Apart from great ideas for services for business, it was interesting that the library examples in the article all seemed to be primarily publicly funded, albeit with support from donors.  None of the business centers seemed to be the kind of comprehensive public/private partnership that we have envisioned...no wonder we are having growing pains!

Growing pains aside, I was pleased to see a national publication like Kiplinger's confirm that we are on the right track as we grow our services for business.  In addition to the Zerunyan Center with its dedicated space, collection of business-related materials, and planned outreach programs we offer a variety of business-oreinted online databases; "quiet study" rooms that are used by local business people for small meetings; rent our larger conference and community rooms for use by businesses and business organizations as well as the non-profit community; Notary, scanning, copying and other services of interest to the business community; and are about to launch a new business networking website for our local community.

The article gave me renewed energy for tackling our Business Center issues and continuing to grow our business services...a shot in the arm at just the right time!

Social networking for small businesses

This is in response to a thought-provoking comment on my last post from Brian, who owns a small dance studio and was wondering about how social networking could be used by businesses like his that are very local.  I read Brian's comment at the airport last Friday en route to a long weekend visit to friends in Charleston, SC and the long flight gave me a chance to think about Brian's question.  Now I'm sitting on our friends' porch recovering from too much southern hospitality before heading out for more sightseeing so I thought I'd take the chance to put some of my thoughts in writing.

Some of the ways I think a small, local dance studio could use a social networking site like the one PVLD is planning to grow and sustain their business -

Use the "profile" page as a de facto website.  These pages usually have a unique web address that can incude the name of the business (much like the web address for this blog identifies me).  The profile page includes basic information about the business and can include photos, contact information, etc.  This can be a very low-cost way of developing an online presence.

Use the social networking sight to create an online relationship with your customers (along the lines of signing them up as "friends" on Faceboook"), which then allows you to blast out information to members of the group.  You could send out everything from promotional offers to information about new products and services.  The beuaty is that customers "opt-in" and you can really tailor your offers to their needs and interests.

Social networking groups can also be a means for customers to connect with each other, so for example all of the people taking a particular dance class could form a group and the instructor could send out tips, practice reminders, and other very targeted information.  SInce people attending a class together often also form friendships, the group could also use the social networking site to communicate with each other (for example to arrange to meet for coffee after class).  As the participants build their relationships with one another, they are also strengthening their relationship with your business.

Set up a blog to present news and information about your business. 

People seem to love to see themselves online so (with permission of course) videotape some of the classes or recitals and post them to your blog, and your profile page. Your customers will then direct their friends and family to watch the videos, increasing exposure for your business.  Some of your customers might also be willing to be featured in video testimonials.

Create a photo album featuring your staff and customers.  As with videos, people will direct their friends and family to the photos and increase the exposure of your business.

Create short instructional videos; for example, one of your instructors demonstrating a dance step, and make them available via your profile page or blog.  This becomes a virtual "free sample".

Expand your online presence by uploading videos to YouTube or photos to Flickr.  Make sure to "tag" them with your business name, location (e.g. Redondo Beach)  and a link to your social network profile. That way people searching for "tango" might find their way to you through a variety of online sites. 

Take advanatge of opportunities to connect with other business owners to share advice and experiences.  Post questions about particular business challenges you are facing and learn from others who have faced similar challenges.  There might also be opportunities to partner with other local businesses to cross-promote and share resources.

Those are just a few of my thoughts....I'm sure that other people can think of more.

And now, back to my vacation!