Small Business Perspectives on the Role of Rural Libraries in Economic Development

Abstract

AbstractPeople living in the Appalachian region, including its rural areas, face challenging economic, social, and cultural conditions with limited financial opportunities, information poverty and unemployment, and low levels of information literacy and educational attainment. The roles played by rural public libraries in small business economic development in this region require exploratory study of representative small businesses to refocus library services and resources on their information needs and information-seeking experiences. This article proposes a user- and use-based model to represent the information context and perspectives of such businesses in the state of Tennessee as a case study in order to apply the lessons and insights to other parts of the United States. It concludes with suggestions for the blueprint design of a public library small business tool kit, an ideal resource that Tennessee’s rural public libraries can develop for small businesses in the future.