As Broward County Libraries moves into the 21st century, it became essential to evolve their role in the community. Through the “Broward County Libraries Mean Business!” campaign and its many free, available resources and services, BCL sought to position itself as a valued “commodity” for small businesses, job seekers, employers and entrepreneurs. The challenge was to reach customers and members of the community who may not know that these free resources were offered by their library. A limited budget was also challenging as there were funds for printing posters/palm cards but not for television, print or radio ads. The campaign was created and produced by the four-member staff of BCL’s E-services Section.

"Broward County Libraries Mean Business!" began with a January 2014 press release listing the library’s business-related events followed by similar press releases distributed in March 2014 and October 2014. The campaign featured mounted posters and palm cards to be distributed at all 37 BCL locations. A whimsical, eye-catching design was used for both items. The campaign included the promotion of Creation Station, a makerspace/gadget lab located at Main Library. Plans are currently underway to launch Creation Station: Business, also at Main Library. It will offer free conference and work spaces, as well as computers and other business-related equipment.

"Broward County Libraries Mean Business!" positions BCL as a valuable and source of assistance to both businesses and individuals in the community. By bundling all business- and finance-related services/resources the Library has available together and selling them into one comprehensive package, the Library was able to promote its valuable resources. These included free financial seminars and workshops, free computer classes, no-cost access to expensive machinery such as 3D printers and a dedicated “Broward County Libraries Mean Business!” web portal for entrepreneurs and job seekers that features a list of upcoming business events and online databases that received 6,420 visits in 2014.