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.
Highlights
This article presents a case study of the University of Minnesota (UMN) Libraries collaboration with the Carlson School of Management’s (CSOM) Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship (HCE) to create an innovation hub in our most heavily trafficked undergraduate library
While collaboratively managed spaces in libraries have grown more common in recent years, usually these are partnerships between the library and other academic support units like writing and tutoring centers, information technology, or career services
The Toaster Innovation Hub is a true partnership in every sense
Summary
This article presents a case study of the University of Minnesota (UMN) Libraries collaboration with the Carlson School of Management’s (CSOM) Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship (HCE) to create an innovation hub in our most heavily trafficked undergraduate library. This innovation hub is intended to provide a dedicated and flexible space for students to work collaboratively on projects related to innovation and entrepreneurship. While collaboratively managed spaces in libraries have grown more common in recent years, usually these are partnerships between the library and other academic support units like writing and tutoring centers, information technology, or career services. We plan in the future to report back with assessments on how, once reopened in a new post-pandemic environment, the space is working and whether or not our goals are being met
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