Providing Value to Businesses

Sometimes, it can be hard to explain the value of a library. Especially to a small business or an entrepreneur who is already pressed for time and resources. Why would they use a library? What could they possibly gain from our services?

Thanks to Urban Libraries Council’s Business Value Calculator, we can now show our value to local businesses in dollars and cents. In 2022, we were able to provide more than $29 million in value to our local business community by offering no-cost services, materials, equipment and more!

The Business Value Calculator looks at usage of our business-related offerings across four categories: training and education, research services, physical space, and technology and equipment.

This means local businesses are saving their hard-earned money by using our Digital Production Studio to record that video voiceover, or gaining new clients by taking advantage of our online research tools, or even avoiding the fees of shared workspaces by working in the Library.

The next time your business is thinking of spending money on equipment, research data or workspace, ask yourself: Could we save money by using my Library?