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.

Creating the perfect world is trickier than you think

From Pando Daily:

In the movie "Ruby Sparks," a novelist played by Paul Dano falls in love with a character he’s written, whom he believes is the ideal woman. Eventually, she comes to life and they have a relationship. But despite the fact that he created her based on his image of the perfect girl, and can even alter her personality through his writing, he finds dating the real life Ruby to be much more complicated than he imagined.

The underlying message of the movie is that the novelist in the film created a shallow facsimile of a woman, because he didn't understand them enough to write one who is complete and complex.

It occurred to me that many Silicon Valley entrepreneurs view the world with the same overly simplistic short sightedness with which the novelist viewed women.

Accepting applications for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy

The School of Business at the University at Albany, SUNY would like to announce a final call for applications for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy scheduled to begin on campus the first week of November. Launched at the Simon Graduate School of Business at the University of Rochester with financial support from the Kauffman Foundation, YEA! takes students in grades 6-12 through the process of starting and running a real business over an eight month period. These student-run companies also have the opportunity to pitch their business plans to real investors!

To see highlights from the 2011 Investor Panel event, check out the YouTube video titled UAlbany Biz School Helps Young CEOs.

A $100 tuition discount is available to children and grandchildren of University at Albany faculty, staff, and alumni. Financial aid is also available for students who qualify.

Michael Hoffman and Brian Straughter, who represent Turf Hotels, Inc. have provided continuing support with helping us launch and grow this chapter.

Bill Brigham, the Director of our award-winning Small Business Development Center, will continue this year as the lead instructor.

To download an application, visit www.albany.edu/business/young-entreprenuers-academy.php. For further information, contact YEA! Recruitment Manager Jason Cotugno (jcotugno@ albany.edu) or YEA! Program Manager Sally Mills at 442-4272 (smills@albany.edu) in the School of Business.