Start Here. Go Anywhere. So says the Jacksonville Public Library. Libraries may seem like relics of the past, the physical embodiment of old knowledge, ill-suited for the age of the Internet. However, a peek at the services available for innovators tells a different story.

Resources for Startups and Entrepreneurs

The library has an abundance of research tools available, both at its main location downtown and at its 21 branches across Jacksonville. A variety of business directories index companies by industry, headquarters location, stock symbol, geographic region, employee size, sales and more, accompanied by a detailed profile of each company’s operations. Such directories can yield useful leads for startups looking for partners in manufacturing, logistics or bringing their products to new markets.

The Lexis Nexis and SRDS Advertising Books contain information on who is purchasing advertising space and where, as well as ad rates and contact information for hundreds of publications.

For media entrepreneurs looking beyond Google’s AdWords for revenue, these sources can be used to find out what companies place advertisements in similar media outlets and how much can be reasonably charged for advertising space. Small businesses looking to maximize their advertising dollars can look up the rates and contact info for a variety of media sources, ranging from newspapers to magazines, college papers and even comics.

Often, the best ideas are sparked by reading a compelling piece on a new technological development, a unique way of doing business or a fresh take on gaining customers. Magazines and periodicals provide a great starting point for innovators fishing for new ideas. The library has more than two dozen periodicals on hand, ranging from Fast Company and Inc to the Harvard Business Review and S&P Industry Surveys. Most have archives for the past two years; some go back much farther. For example, every issue of Fortune since 1930 is available.

Connections to Local Business Incubators

The library also offers several unique services to make research easier for business-minded patrons. The Book a Librarian service is one example.

Send an email for some one-on-one time with a reference librarian who can provide all the help that Jeeves never could. The library also offers a series of classes for nonprofit innovators, such as how to write proposals and seek grant opportunities, that are made available freely to the public.

JPL is particularly proud of their affiliation with a variety of other resources for innovators around Jacksonville. Reference librarians are eager to point patrons in the right direction for their unique needs, working with organizations like the Beaver Street Enterprise Center, Small Business Development Center, Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, a variety of cultural business groups and educational resources like UNF and FSCJ.

Far from ignoring today’s technology, the library also offers valuable access to a variety of databases to cardholding members that can be accessed from home.

The Small Business Resource Center and DemographicsNow offer journal articles relevant to businesses across the spectrum and insightful information about customer bases on a county-by-county basis nationwide.

LexisNexis Library Express is also available in most branches and offers access to news, business and legal resources with a depth and breadth unmatched by an everyday Google search. These resources could cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to procure on an individual basis, offering exceptional value to library members.

Meeting and Collaboration Centers

Aside from research services, Jacksonville’s branch libraries offer study rooms and conference areas that can be reserved free of charge for entrepreneurs to meet with partners, do research together or simply have a place to work that feels a little more professional than working from home. The Main Library also offers a full-fledged conference center, with the capability to host as few as 10 or more than 1,000 attendees at reasonable rates. On weekdays, nonprofits can take advantage of these facilities at a 50% discount.

Librarians we spoke with lamented that so many of these resources are available, yet remain under-utilized by those who could benefit from them most. Sometimes, the most seemingly conventional sources for help in bringing a new idea to life can offer worthwhile benefits. That’s certainly the case at Jacksonville’s Public Libraries.

Further Online Reading & Resources

Here is a short selection of blogs to follow for innovation and business startup news.

1. Venture Beat’s Entrepreneur Corner
2. Harvard Business Review
3. US Small Business Administration blog

Thanks to Mark Hohnadel, Senior Librarian, Reference and Periodicals, for research assistance & Patrick Carter for editorial artwork. Photo credit.