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A Gap Analysis of the Perspectives of Small Businesses and Rural Librarians in Tennessee: Developments Toward a Blueprint for a Public Library Small Business Toolkit

Bharat Mehra

Bradley Wade Bishop

Robert P. Partee II

Rural and Small Public Libraries: Challenges and Opportunities

ISBN: 978-1-78743-112-6, eISBN: 978-1-78743-111-9

Publication date: 10 November 2017

Abstract

This chapter presents a gap analysis of the perspectives of small businesses and rural librarians in Tennessee in order to develop an implementation blueprint of a public library small business toolkit, a resource that the state’s rural public libraries can create for small businesses in the future.

The chapter reports on select comparison data sets collected via two exploratory online surveys with small businesses and rural public librarians, respectively, in an externally funded planning grant awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ National Leadership Grants for Libraries (Research category) to the School of Information Sciences at the University of Tennessee.

Findings from the gap analysis of the perspectives of small businesses and rural librarians provide similarities and differences between the two stakeholder groups in terms of

existing assistance needs of small businesses,
information-related challenges small businesses experience,
desired public library use, and
information-related components of a public library small business toolkit.

The study is a unique example of action research based on varied levels of participation in rural research and action, learning through collaboration, community inquiry into everyday experiences and potential impact, use of mixed methods, and the situated nature of applications and concrete outcomes. It serves as a pilot case experience and prototype assessment test bed to expand strategies for the entire Appalachian region and other rural environments in the future.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgments

The authors appreciate the recently awarded PLSB-TN grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ National Leadership Grants for Libraries (Research category) reported in this chapter. We also gratefully acknowledge the generous contributions of various library stakeholders, PLSB-TN partners, and collaborators as well as respondents from the small business community who participated in this research. Thanks to Abbey Elder for loaning her calculation skills.

Citation

Mehra, B., Bishop, B.W. and Partee, R.P. (2017), "A Gap Analysis of the Perspectives of Small Businesses and Rural Librarians in Tennessee: Developments Toward a Blueprint for a Public Library Small Business Toolkit", Real, B. (Ed.) Rural and Small Public Libraries: Challenges and Opportunities (Advances in Librarianship, Vol. 43), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 97-121. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0065-283020170000043005

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited