16 Survey Results: Survey Questions and Responses
LaunchPad is accessible during extended hours, can be used for ideation workshops, team meetings,
co-working, networking events, training sessions, product launches, and other collaborative activities.
It is staffed by an executive director, a program manager, several interns, and is supported by a network
of mentors and subject matter experts. The business, management, and entrepreneurship librarian
holds office hours in the LaunchPad and receives referrals. In fall 2016, the LaunchPad executive
director crowdsourced from faculty across academic programs a list of books on multi-disciplinary
topics related to innovation and entrepreneurship. The list has been adopted as suggested reading by
those teaching entrepreneurship and related subjects. In November, the Libraries won the Judges
Prize at the Charleston Conference Fast Pitch Competition for the idea of embedding this collection in
the LaunchPad.
The business librarian supports all patrons with entrepreneurial research needs. Additionally, the
business librarian has supported the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities,
sponsored by the College of Business, for the past four years.
The business library supports the business school as it relates to entrepreneurship resources. While
research consultations are available to the wider university community, many subscriptions are
licensed for the business school community only.
The commerce librarian provides a LibGuide with a tab and multiple resources for entrepreneurship.
The Darden Business School Library provides multiple resources for entrepreneurship.
The library employs one FT business librarian with frequent, direct engagement with the business
school, the economics department and less direct and frequent contact with other entrepreneurial
faculties on campus (a school of international relations and the engineering school) also this librarian
participates in outreach to and referrals from the Technology Transfer Office and student clubs
engaged in entrepreneurship. In addition, other subject specialists field some entrepreneurship-related
questions (particularly librarians covering the areas of engineering, political sciences, sociology,
communications, medicine, pharmacology, areas studies such as Latin America and Asia, data,
government documents, and GIS).
The Peter F. Bronfman Business Library provides extensive support to the Schulich School of Business
Entrepreneurship programs. Steacie Science and Engineering Library and Peter F. Bronfman Business
Library provide support to the Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science &Technology (BEST) program. This
includes collaboration on sponsored events such as Start-up Nights.
There are three business subject specialists at our institution, and all three have active relationships
with entrepreneurship courses and co/extra-curricular programs, some stretching back over 15 years.
University Libraries has created a full-time librarian position to provide support and services to
entrepreneurs in residence and student entrepreneurs on an ongoing basis. The majority of services
focuses on instruction and collection building at this time. Future opportunities are envisioned,
including tool development, co-curricular development, and instruction for classes where library
resources are important (market research, marketing, funding, etc.) A potential lab class is being
developed to support the Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship’s marketing class for spring 2018.
A major part of the job of the entrepreneurial outreach librarian is to develop services and support
structures for faculty and students using library databases and resources. Library resources are often
hard to use and require specialized instruction. A set of “workbooks” is currently in production, as well
as tools for using resources with the Business Model Canvas tool developed by Strategyzer.
We provide support for entrepreneurial activities—just like every other program of study.
We provide support/services on an ongoing basis for patent and trademark searches, research support,
and the Creative Studios, which allow for modeling, prototyping, and training for a variety of areas. We
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