Presented by: EBSCO & Library Journal
Event Date: Tuesday, May 14, 2019 

Libraries gained recognition for their efforts to support job seekers during the Great Recession. Beneath today’s rosy low unemployment picture are some disturbing trends: unemployment remains high in many rural areas, and artificial intelligence (AI) and automation continue to disrupt what jobs and careers are available. A 2018 Gallup survey indicates that 53 percent of workers are disengaged, and another 13 percent are actively disengaged. Other studies point to a move from permanent, full-time employment at a single company to episodic employment by multiple employers (the gig economy). For today’s workers, this means that today’s jobs may be neither secure nor fulfilling.

This economy is designed for entrepreneurs — those self-directed, intrinsically motivated, problem solvers who not only start businesses, but also create new industries and tackle big-picture problems. Sounds a lot like the individuals who are visiting your library every day! Join us in this exploration of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and ways that your library can become central to high-employment and satisfying work for your citizens.

Attendees will learn:

• The stages in the entrepreneurial journey 
• The components of an entrepreneurial ecosystem, the services it provides and the challenges it faces
• How libraries from across the country are enriching and adding value to their community’s economic development efforts
   

Panelists

Fred Stutzman, Founder and CEO, Freedom

John Austin, Senior Director, NC IDEA

Alisha Powell Gillis, Director of Community Impact, Urban Libraries Council

Moderator

Duncan Smith, Chief Strategist for Public Libraries, EBSCO Information Services

Follow us on Twitter! @LibraryJournal #LJEBSCO

Need help getting registered? Send us an email describing your problem.