What Do You Get When You Mix Libraries and Entrepreneurship? The Case of an Innovation Hub at a Large Research Library.

Abstract

This article presents a case study of the University of Minnesota (UMN) Libraries collaboration with the UMN Carlson School of Management’s (CSOM) Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship (HCE) to create an innovation hub in our most heavily trafficked undergraduate library. During the same time that academic libraries have added makerspaces and have routinely invited partners into their buildings, entrepreneurship support has become a strategic priority for universities, business schools, and business libraries. The story of our innovation hub represents a confluence of these trends, and illustrates some of the challenges and benefits brought on by inviting a new kind of partner into the library space.