Presentation by José Antonio Merlo Vega (Universidad de Salamanca = University of Salamanca). Social Entrepreneurship in Action: The Conference for Entrepreneurial Librarians (May 16-17, 2013 / UNC Greensboro). The presentation offers a brief overview of how social entrepreneurship has been practiced in Spain with pertinent examples from libraries, ranging from academic initiatives to social actions in which libraries, especially public ones, are extremely engaged. The Spanish, experiencing so much economic hardship, can demonstrate examples of increased social action from the point of view of mutual support from the library to the community and vice versa. This presentation includes a description of theoretical actions, with examples of actual experiences of libraries that practice social entrepreneurship.

1. Social Entrepreneurship in Action. The Conference for Entrepreneurial
Librarians. May 16-17, 2013 / Greensboro, NC
Social Entrepreneurship in Action in Spanish Libraries
José Antonio Merlo Vega, Ph.D.
USAL. LIS Professor, Library Services Director
UNCG. Visiting Scholar
@merlovega
May 16, 2013. UNC Greensboro

2. Social entrepreneurship in action
Social entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurship in libraries
Economic recession
Economic recession in libraries
Libraries in action: Reaction to the recession
From practice to theory

3. Social Entrepreneurship
• Business approach
• Social responsibility
• Social management
• Benefits to society

4. Social Entrepreneurship
in libraries
• Community approach
• Social responsibility
• Social management
• Benefits to society
• Innovation
• ROI (Return on Investment)

5. Economic recession
¡La economía hace agua!
¡Arrojad a la población al mar!
Image: El Roto http://elpais.com/autor/el_roto/a/
"The economy springs a leak! Throw
people overboard!"

6. Economic recession
in libraries
Image: The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com
• Cuts in budgets
• Libraries closed
• Librarians unemployed
• Less wages, more work
• Unpaid invoices
• Identity loss
Entrepreneurship
or survival?

7. Lehman Brothers enter into the library
A country in crisis
Spain
Reactions to the recession
Libraries without budget
Library services
Social responsibility
Entrepreneurship
Martínez, D.; Prats, J.; Serrano, J.; Los hermanos
Lehman entran en la biblioteca. UPC Commons,
2011 http://upcommons.upc.edu

8. A country in crisis
Spain
Unemployment rate
April 2013
Image: El País Economía http://economia.elpais.com

9. A country in crisis
Spain
Public expenditure
Image: Cinco Días http://cincodias.com
income
expenditure

10. When libraries pay for the crisis
Spain
Number and types
of libraries in Spain
INE 2010 http://www.ine.es
Public
libraries
National
Library
Central/Regional
Libraries
Special
libraries
School and
other libraries
Academic
Libraries
6608 Libraries
(branches not included)

11. When libraries pay for the crisis
Spain
Libraries supported with public budgets INE 2010 (%)
http://www.ine.es
Local
Government
Regional
Government
Private
National Government
Public
libraries
Academic
libraries
Private
National
Government
Regional
Government
Provincial
Government
Provincial Gov.
Local Gov.
NOTE: In Spain commas are used instead of periods.

12. When libraries pay for the crisis
Spain
Acquisition
Expenditure
€ per inhabitant
http://www.mcu.es/bibliotecas/MC/EBP/index.html
Public
libraries
NOTE: In Spain commas are used instead of periods.
2012
Zero budget for
acquisitions
in many public
libraries

13. When libraries pay for the crisis
Spain
Expenditures (€)
http://www.mcu.es/bibliotecas/MC/EBP/index.html
Public
libraries Staff
Acquisitions
Buildings

14. When libraries pay for the crisis
Spain
Acquisitions expenditures
(€) REBIUN http://www.rebiun.org
Academic
and scientific
libraries
decimals are separated with comma

15. When libraries pay for the crisis
Spain
Acquisitions
expenditure (€)
REBIUN http://www.rebiun.org
Academic
and scientific
libraries
NOTE: In Spain commas are used instead of periods.

16. Reaction to the recession
Libraries in action
From practice to theory
Library experiences
Entrepreneurship,
Imagination,
& Survival
Local experiencies
are global experiences

17. From Practice to Theory
Methodology
• Bibliographic research
• Main email professional list
• Social media, wide reach
• Open document shared online
http://j.mp/biblioaccion

18. Professional
Action
Community
Action
Social
Action
Political
Action
Digital
Action
Heritage
Action
Economic
Action
Ontological
Action
Libraries in
Action

19. Professional
Action
Entrepreneurial actions:
Libraries can maintain
their services with less
budget.
• Library selects resources and
patrons buy them.
• Patrons pay for magazine or
newspaper subscriptions.
• Librarians play different roles, as
storytellers, trainers,...
• Programming based on old
collections.
• Libraries support open access to
resources.

20. Professional
Action
Actual
• Biblioteca Pública de Guadalajara
• Bibliotecas Públicas de Castilla y
León
• Biblioteca Central de Cantabria
• Biblioteca Pública de Allo, Navarra
• Biblioteca de Chinchilla, Albacete
• Bibliotecas de Hellín, Albacete
• Biblioteca Pública de Salamanca
• Biblioteca de Orihuela, Alicante
• etc.
Experiences
http://j.mp/biblioaccion

21. Community
Action
Entrepreneurial actions:
Libraries engage patrons
in library activity.
• Library spaces used for other than
informational activities.
• Literacy sessions not on
informational topics.
• Patrons are speakers or teachers in
library activities.
• Friends of the Library supports
cultural activities.
• Crowdfunding.
• Sponsorships.

22. Community
Action
Actual
Experiences
http://j.mp/biblioaccion
• Biblioteca de Huelva
• Biblioteca de Torrejón del Rey,
Guadalajara
• Biblioteca Regional de Murcia
• Biblioteca de Peñaranda de
Bracamonte, Salamanca
• Bibliotecas de Hellín, Albacete
• Biblioteca de San Javier, Murcia
• Biblioteca de Villarrubia de los
Ojos, Ciudad Real
• Biblioteca Pública de Salamanca
• Etc.

23. Social
Action
Entrepreneurial actions:
Libraries help people with
economic needs.
• Libraries collect food and school
supplies, often overdue fines are
forgiven with donations.
• Library spaces are used as a
point of social service.
• Libraries provide job search
services.
• Libraries are a point of exchange
of books between patrons.

24. Social
Action
Actual
• Biblioteca UNED Asturias
• Biblioteca Regional de Murcia
• Biblioteca de Peñaranda de
Bracamonte, Salamanca
• Biblioteca Universidad de La Rioja
• Biblioteca de Noain, Navarra
• Biblioteca de Villanueva del
Pardillo, Madrid
• Bibliotecas de A Coruña
• Biblioteca Central de Cantabria
Experiences
http://j.mp/biblioaccion

25. Social
Action
Actual
• Bibliotecas de Santander
• Biblioteca Pública de Allo, Navarra
• Biblioteca Hospital de Málaga
• Biblioteca Universidad de
Salamanca en Ávila
• Biblioteca de la Universidad de
Castilla‐La Mancha
• Biblioteca Municipal de Burgos
• Biblioteca de Baiona, Pontevedra
• Biblioteca de Caldas de Reis,
Pontevedra
• etc.
Experiences
http://j.mp/biblioaccion

26. Political
Action
Entrepreneurial actions:
Libraries fight against cuts
and anti‐libraries policies.
• Libraries and patrons protest
against cuts.
• Libraries and patrons create pro‐
library petitions online.
• Libraries organise campaigns to
defend library services and funding.
• Librarians support workers strikes
and protests.
• Library associations advocate for
favorable legislation.

27. Political
Action
Actual
Experiences
http://j.mp/biblioaccion
Agolada, Pontevedra; Arroyo de la
Luz, Cáceres; Ávila; Azuqueca de
Henares, Guadalajara; Barcelona;
Cádiz; Castilla‐La Mancha; Granada;
Madrid; Jérez de la Frontera, Cádiz;
Muskiz, Bizkaia; Orihuela, Alicante;
Salamanca, ... Library associations
and institutions.
• Yellow tide (Spanish libraries
movement against cuts)

28. Political
Action
Actual

29. Digital
Action
Entrepreneurial actions:
Libraries use free
technologies to offer
services.
• Reading groups in the cloud.
• Libraries support online learning
communities.
• Libraries are the community
managers in their service area.
• Libraries manage social media
platforms and virtual shared
spaces.

30. Digital
Action
Actual • Bibliotecas de Badalona
• Biblioteca de Palafrugell
• Bibliotecas de A Coruña
• Biblioteca Municipal de Burgos
• Biblioteca Central de Cantabria
• Biblioteca de Peñaranda de
Bracamonte, Salamanca
• Centro Internacional del Libro
Infantil y Juvenil, Salamanca
• Biblioteca Pública de Salamanca
• Etc.
Experiences
http://j.mp/biblioaccion

31. Heritage
Action
• Libraries and patrons build digital
collections on local topics.
• Libraries select local resources
online.
• Library websites serve as a local
news source.
• Libraries support open access to
cultural heritage resources.
• Libraries create online spaces
shared with patrons on local topics.
Entrepreneurial actions:
Libraries support local
culture engaging free
technologies.

32. Heritage
Action
Actual
• Biblioteca de Peñaranda de
Bracamonte, Salamanca
• Biblioteca de Ermua, Bizkaia
• Biblioteca de Sant Antoni‐Joan
Oliver de Barcelona
• Biblioteca de Amara, San Sebastián
• Etc.
Experiences
http://j.mp/biblioaccion

33. Economic
Action
Entrepreneurial actions:
Libraries adjust and
redistribute their budgets.
• Libraries re‐negociate licences with
e‐resource providers.
• Libraries use indicators to cancel
subscriptions.
• Libraries buy in consortia.
• Libraries modify interlibrary loan
procedures.
• Libraries support open access to
scientific papers and resources.

34. Economic
Action
Actual
• Academic libraries
• Consortia
• National licences
• Collection evaluation in practice
• Open access repositories
• Etc.

35. Ontologic
Action
Entrepreneurial actions:
Libraries defend their role
in the information society.
• Libraries campaing defending the
function of the library.
• Library associations produce and
disseminate documents promoting
the role of libraries.
• Libraries in crisis and in a digital
world are addressed in profesional
meetings and publications.

36. Ontologic
Action
Actual
• Professional arguments: value of
libraries in a world in crisis
• Murcia Declaration on social and
educational action of libraries in
time of crisis
• Twelve reasons to love your Public
Libraries
• Prospective of a profession in
constant evolutionExperiences
http://j.mp/biblioaccion

37. Professional
Community
Social
Political
Digital
HeritageEconomic
Ontological
Libraries
in action

38. Entrepreneurship in libraries
is today more necessary than
ever, in order to support their
communities in diverse ways,
including informational as well
as social activities.

39. The future of the library depends
of its capacity to adapt the value
of its past experience to the
possibilities and opportunities of
the present .

40. Libraries are
not an
expense,
but an
investment.

41. Thank you
José Merlo
merlo@usal.es
jamerlov@uncg.edu
@merlovega

42. Library and Information Studies
http://exlibris.usal.es
• Undergraduate
• Master LIS
• Doctoral Program
Library Services
http://bibliotecas.usal.es
• Portal: http:// bibliotecas.usal.es
• Repository: http:// gredos.usal.es
• E‐book platform: http://cielo.usal.es
• Apps iOS&Android, Worldcat, Social
media, Union catalogs, E‐resources, etc.