This article from The Advocate highlights how the Easton Baton Rouge Parish Library, ULC member, supports local entrepreneurs and small business owners through their Career Center—an effort they kicked off in 2018 with ULC.

"The library has long offered resources for small businesses through books in its catalog, but implemented personal consultations and digital resources that patrons can access at home in 2018 following a survey by a library advocacy group.

"A cohort of the Urban Libraries Council, an organization that conducts research and creates partnerships for library systems in North America, surveyed 116 ULC member libraries about their services for local businesses in 2018. The survey aimed to identify best practices for member libraries to adopt and strengthen their resources for entrepreneurs.

"The study found that business services varied greatly among the survey participants, with some offering access to education resources, entrepreneurial programs, one-on-one support and partnerships with outside organizations.

"Tadman joined the ULC cohort to formalize the library’s small-business services in a way similar to EBRPL’s Career Center, which has served patrons for more than two decades."

Read the article.