The Library’s Future Is In Your Hands

CCPL needs your help planning the next five years.  We’d like you to share your ideas and suggestions about the library’s buildings, programming, services, budget and more.

Independent consultants are doing a Strategic Plan to assess CCPL’s operations and find out what YOU want from your local library. This is your chance to be heard and your chance to make a difference in CCPL’s future.

Please join us at one of the Community Meetings:

When: Monday, May 9th at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Dorchester Road Regional Library AND Mt. Pleasant Regional Library

When: Tuesday, May 10th at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Otranto Road Regional Library

When: Wednesday, May 11th at 6:30 p.m.
Where: St. Andrews Regional Library

When: Thursday, May 12th at 6:30 p.m.
Where: John’s Island Regional Library

If you can’t make it to a meeting, simply email your ideas to
letusknow@ccpl.org or fill out our online feedback form.  Thanks for your help!

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SC Industry & Your Library

After the 18th annual South Carolina Industry Appreciation Week last week, we spent some time thinking about our local industries.   

Facts about Charleston’s Business Community:

• Charleston County has 11,959 business establishments as of 2006¹
• 179,971 workers were employed by these establishments in 2006¹
• Gross sales by Charleston County businesses were $12,880,870,684 during fiscal year 2005-06¹
• The top 5 industries in Charleston County by number of establishments are: Retail, Other Services (except public administration), Construction, and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.²

I took some time to reflect on what we’ve done so far this year in the Business Center to help support entrepreneurs in our area.  Here’s what I discovered:

• SORE Counselors have helped at least 38 people in 12 visits to the Business Center in 2008
• The Business Center has helped 54 individuals with involved business questions and helped answer 18 questions from patrons at other library branches.
• The Business Notes email newsletter has 217 subscribers as of this week.
• 200 people have attended the 14 business reference events held so far in 2008 at the Main Library
• I’ve had the opportunity to tell 67 people about our resources at 4 speaking engagements this year.  (Two more chances for me to talk to folks are on the way next week!)
• 57 volumes were added to the Business Center reference collection in August alone.
• CCPL had added three online business resources in 2008: the DemographicsNow database, the Everyday Finance ebook, and the Small Business Resource Center, courtesy of the SC State Library’s DISCUS project.

We’re thrilled to have made a difference in the lives of everyone we’ve helped so far this year, and I look forward to working with even more of you in the months to come!

_______________
¹2008 South Carolina Statistical Abstract
² 2006 County Business Patterns, US Census Bureau

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This Week’s Business Center Events

I had a chance to go on Live 5 News at Noon today to talk about two upcoming events at the Business Center.  In case you were at work and missed the show, here are the events we’ve got scheduled for you this week:

Business Center Tour
Tuesday July 22, 2008 from 6 – 6:45 PM
Main Library, 68 Calhoun Street.  Meets on the 2nd floor at the Reference Desk.
Own your own business or interested in starting one?  Take a tour of the awesome print and online resources designed especially for entrepreneurs’ needs.  [map]

SCORE Counseling
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 from 10 AM – 2 PM
Main Library, 68 Calhoun Street.  Meets on the 2nd floor in the Business Center.
SCORE counselors offer free, confidential advice on starting or growing your business.  Get help from the business experts at SCORE at the Main Library every month on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays.  [map]

If you have questions about either event, just let us know!

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