Monday, March 09, 2015

Why Libraries Should Be the Next Great Start-Up Incubators

This old idea of the public library as co-working space now offers a modern answer – one among many – for how these aging institutions could become more relevant two millennia after the original Alexandria library burned to the ground. Would-be entrepreneurs everywhere are looking for business know-how and physical space to incubate their start-ups. Libraries meanwhile may be associated today with an outmoded product in paper books. But they also happen to have just about everything a 21st century innovator could need: Internet access, work space, reference materials, professional guidance.

Why not put these two ideas together?

More from Citylab.

1 comment:

Annie said...

Libraries already are. Our small-town library is, for many, the only place to access high speed internet, copying and faxing. We have small business people in every day using our facilities. We are looking at creating some dedicated space and running some classes, but those will really just be icing on the cake that our local innovators have already created.

Annie Miller
Greenwich Free Library
Greenwich, NY