Presentation from the Entrepreneurial Librarian Conference, October 17, 2014. Wake Forest University. Elizabeth Kocevar-Weidinger and Tatiana Pashkova-Balkenhol

1. Entrepreneurial Collaboration:
Multiple Perspectives and One Replicable Research Path
(Construction Site)
Tatiana Pashkova-Balkenhol and
Elizabeth Kocevar-Weidinger.
(October 17, 2014). Take Risks, Embrace
Change: The 2014 Conference for
Entrepreneurial Librarians. Wake Forest
University, Winston-Salem, NC.

2. 7 traits of successful entrepreneurs
 Tenacity
 Passion
 Tolerance of ambiguity
 Vision
 Self confidence
 Flexibility
 Rule breaking
Robinson, Joe. (2014, January 10). The 7
Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneur Magazine, n. page.

3. Passion:
“Most will tell you they are fueled by a passion for their product or service, by
the opportunity to solve a problem and make life easier, better, cheaper.”
 Student Learning
 Faculty Collaboration
 Information Retrieval

4. Rule Breaking:
“…defy conventional wisdom. …combination of "smarts" and "aggressive, illicit, risk-taking
activities" …often shows up in youth as rebellious behavior, such as pot-smoking.”
(and building tall buildings!)
 Librarians led a semester-long
pedagogical
collaboration with:
Faculty
Students
Database vendor

5. Tenacity:
“This trait is known by many names--perseverance, persistence, determination,
commitment, resilience— but it's really just old-fashioned stick-to-it-iveness.”
 Participants: 5 elementary,
6 middle/junior, 5 high,
and 6 university students
 Tasks: find encyclopedia
articles, magazine articles,
and images. Use database
functions, such as sharing,
saving, and citing results.

6. Tolerance of Ambiguity:
“This classic trait is the definition of risk-taking--the ability to withstand the fear
of uncertainty and potential failure.”
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Information
Encyclopedia
Image/Picture
Magazine Article
Find Features Comparison
% Start with facet % Start with search
% Within mouse range % Correct path
% Both correct path & mouse range

7. Vision:
“One of the defining traits of entrepreneurship is the ability to spot an
opportunity and imagine something where others haven't.”

8. Flexibility:
Business survival, like that of the species, depends on adaptation. Your final
product or service likely won't look anything like what you started with.

9. Self-confidence: It's a belief that turns the risk proposition around--
you've conducted enough research and have enough confidence that you can get
the job done that you ameliorate the risk.
 “The library is the
intellectual crossroads of
the community—a house
of stories preserving our
memory and fostering
communication and
collaboration. Librarians
can lead collaborations that
will keep that community
alive and vibrant.”

10. Entrepreneurial Collaboration:
Multiple Perspectives and One Replicable Research Path
(Construction Site)
Questions?
Thank you.
Tatiana Pashkova-Balkenhol, Millersville
State University
Elizabeth Kocevar-Weidinger, Zayed
University, United Arab Emirates.