academic library & economic development center collaborate to assist local inventors - julia a....

Academic Library and Economic Development Center Collaborate to

Assist Local Inventors

Julia A. MartinBusiness & Economics Librarian

University of Toledo Libraries

CALA Midwest Chapter Annual ConferenceSaturday, May 22, 2010

Academic Library and Economic Development Center Collaborate to Assist Local Inventors 2

Launch Business Development Library

• proposed by the Regional Growth Partnership (RGP) - Northwest Ohio’s economic development center

• to support the start-up and small business management needs of local inventors

• to increase economic development


Highest Percent of Distressed Cities

• Ohio• Pennsylvania• New York

(Wolman, Hill, Blumenthal, & Furdell, 2008)


Characteristics of Distressed Cities

• to be in economically unhealthy metropolitan areas• to have lower levels of connectivity to global

economy• to have a lower share of the metropolitan area

population and employment• to have older transportation and communication

infrastructures• to produce mature products• to be smaller


Characteristics of Distressed Cities

• to have residents with lower levels of education• to be in high-wage labor markets• to have high crime rates• to have a higher portion of residents who are not of

labor force age• to have an out-migration of workers• to lack amenities such as restaurants, cultural

institutions, and good overall appearance (Feyrer, Scaerdote, & Stern, 2007; Vey, 2008; Wolman et al, 2008)


Toledo’s Economic Difficulties

• city population decreased 6%– 313,157 in 2000 to 293,201 in 2008

• violent crime rate 2.6 times the national average– 3,639 violent crimes per 100,000 people

• 17.2% of population 25 years and older has a bachelor's degree or higher– national average of 27.4%

(U. S. Census Bureau, 2009; Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2008; U. S. Census Bureau, 2010b)


Lucas County’s Economic Difficulties

• closings of large manufacturing plants

• unemployment rate increased– 6.4% in December 2007 – 10.1% in December 2008 – 12.2% in December 2009

(U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010)

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20090

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

LucasUS


Annual Unemployment

Rate for Midwest States

2007 2008 20093

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

USOhioIllinoisIndianaIowaKentuckyMichigan



• job losses between 2000 and 2008 – 34.3% (11,312 workers) of manufacturing jobs– 24.1% (2,846 workers) of construction jobs– 16.0% (8,142 workers) of trade, transportation, and

utilities jobs– 15.8% (5,426 workers) of professional and business

services jobs

(Mayer & McCleary, 2010)



• 17.4% of individuals lived below the poverty level during 2006-2008

• 22.1% of the population received food assistance in 2008

• 20.8% of residents enrolled in Medicaid in 2008• 43.5% of children enrolled in Medicaid in 2008

(U. S. Census Bureau, 2010a; Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, 2009)


Roles of Universities in Technology Transfer and Economic Development

• provide well-educated graduates• support local businesses through consulting• support local businesses through job training

support the goals and growth of the city


UT Centers for Economic Development and Emerging Technologies

• Intermodal Transportation Institute • Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization• School of Solar and Advanced Renewable Energy• Center of Excellence in Advanced Renewable Energy and

the Environment• Clean and Alternative Energy Incubator• Technology Business Incubator• Minority Business Enterprise Incubator• Nitschke Technology Commercialization Complex


Roles of Academic Libraries in Economic Development

• support faculty research– move from basic to applied sciences

• support small business development– resource provision– resource training– patent searching


New UT Products to Support Economic Development

• GREENR (Global Reference on the Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources)

• ASTM Standards (industry)• IHS Standards (military, federal, other)• journal subscriptions • Frost & Sullivan


Regional Growth Partnership Goals

• new business attraction• international trade development• venture funds• tech-based business development


RGP's Launch Program

promoting tech-based, start-up company success

• business planning• technology validation• equipment for demonstration• prototype build and

demonstration• intellectual property

management

• financial planning and projections

• grant writing• market analysis and research• marketing strategies• investment mentoring and

coaching


Launch's Clientele

• scientists, many with doctoral degrees

• many faculty from regional universities

• little theoretical or practical business experience


Inventors’ Library Resource Needs

• small business education• market research


Small Business Education

• business-conceptual to help entrepreneurs build a framework

• business-practical to help entrepreneurs conduct business

• small business startup practices • small business management


Book Topics for Small Business Education• technology

commercialization• invention• protecting intellectual

property• entrepreneurship &

start-up• forms of business• management & strategy

• business skills• marketing• human resources• accounting• finance• grants• wisdom & inspiration


Titles Given to Every Inventor

• Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business (2006) by Fred S. Steingold

• Legal Forms for Starting & Running a Small Business (2008) by Fred S. Steingold

• The Ernst & Young Business Plan Guide (2007) by Brian R. Ford, Jay M. Bornstein, and Patrick T. Pruitt


Market Research

• help inventors determine market feasibility• biggest and most used databases were assessed• UT purchased Frost & Sullivan database


Outcomes

• RGP staff and clients use library for book borrowing and as reading area

• Summer 2008– 11 clients

• Summer 2009– 21 clients– 8 graduates– potential clients waiting for patents– additional staff person


Launch Graduates

medication therapy for chronic illnesses

critical test result communication

thin film solar cells

satellite detection of bacteria

Seavival – emergency medical systems


References• Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2008). Crime in the United States by Metropolitan

Statistical Area, 2007. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2007/data/table_06.html

• Feyrer, J., Scaerdote, B., & Stern, A. (2007, July). Did the rust belt become shiny? A study of cities and counties that lost steel and auto jobs in the 1980s. Brookings-Wharton Papers on Urban Affairs, 8, 41-89.

• Mayer, M., & McCleary, M. (2010). State of the State: Two decades of weak job growth and skyrocketing government costs pose daunting challenges for Ohioans. Retrieved from The Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions website: http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/docs/2010StateoftheState.pdf

• Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. (2009). Lucas county profile. Retrieved from http://jfs.ohio.gov/county/cntypro/lucas.pdf

http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2007/data/table_06.html

http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/docs/2010StateoftheState.pdf

http://jfs.ohio.gov/county/cntypro/lucas.pdf


References• U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2010). Local area unemployment statistics: Lucas

County, OH: unemployment rate. Retrieved from http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/dsrv?la• U. S. Census Bureau. (2009). Annual estimates of the resident population for

incorporated places in Ohio, listed alphabetically: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008 (SUB-EST2008-04-39). Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2008-04-39.xls

• U. S. Census Bureau. (2010a). Lucas County, Ohio: 2006-2008 American Community Survey 3-year estimates: Data profile highlights. Retrieved from http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=&_geoContext=&_street=&_county=lucas&_cityTown=lucas&_state=04000US39&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010

http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/dsrv?la

http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2008-04-39.xls

http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=&_geoContext=&_street=&_county=lucas&_cityTown=lucas&_state=04000US39&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010




References• U. S. Census Bureau. (2010b). Toledo city, Ohio: 2006-2008 American Community

Survey 3-year estimates: Data profile highlights. Retrieved from http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=&_geoContext=&_street=&_county=toledo&_cityTown=toledo&_state=04000US39&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010

• Vey, J. S. (2008). Revitalizing America’s older industrial cities: A state agenda for change. In R. M. McGahey & J. S. Vey (Eds.), Retooling for growth: Building a 21st century economy in America's older industrial area (pp. 33-59). Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.

• Wolman, H. L., Hill, E.W., Blumenthal, P., & Furdell, K. (2008). Understanding economically distressed cities. In R. M. McGahey & J. S. Vey (Eds.), Retooling for growth: Building a 21st century economy in America's older industrial area (pp. 151-178). Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.

http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=&_geoContext=&_street=&_county=toledo&_cityTown=toledo&_state=04000US39&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010



academic library & economic development center collaborate to assist local inventors - julia a....

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