By Nancy Tucker, Mauney Public Library Presented on March 11, 2015 for the Trends in Outreach and Collaboration portion of the NCLA-RASS Conference Series--Trends in Reference 2015.

1. Nancy Tucker
Business Librarian
Mauney Memorial Library
Kings Mountain, NC

2. Libraries are
Changing, and so
should the way we
provide services.

3. Embedded Librarianship
“Embedded librarianship means
moving librarians out of the
traditional library, and into a new
structure for providing reference.”

4. Embedded Business Librarian in Downtown Kings Mountain
What I do:
• Go door to door, meet with business owners
• Find out their needs
• Discover ways the library can assist
• Demonstrate library resources
• Promote library resources to Small Business owners
• Assist with business research such as:
• Business plan research
• Target market
• Industry research
• Articles
• Business plan research

5. Reference Databases for
Small Business

6. Here are a few examples of the businesses I have worked with as an
embedded business librarian in downtown Kings Mountain:

7. Building Partnerships
• Community college
• City / County Departments
• Nonprofit organizations
• Downtown businesses
• Community organizations

8. Recommendations
• Get out of the library and get into your
community
• Ask questions
• Share stories of how you have helped others
• Market your research

9. Conclusion
• Libraries are changing, and so should the way
we provide reference.
• Make your library indispensable
– Meet customers where they are.
– Build partnerships in the community.
– Don’t wait for patrons to come to you, actively
seek reference opportunities within the community.