Library program means business

A program gives businesses access to Palm Harbor Library resources without leaving the office.

By JULIE CHURCH, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published May 9, 2002

PALM HARBOR -- The Palm Harbor Library is offering a new service designed not to bring business owners to the library, but to bring the library to businesses.

PHiL's Business Center is a joint effort of the Business Assistance Partnership, which includes the library, the Greater Palm Harbor Chamber of Commerce and Pinellas County's economic development program.

Several new books, business periodicals and other traditional reference materials are available at the business center, but many of the services are meant to be used off site.

"Today's library is no longer just a place, it's a service," library director Gene Coppola said. "Business people who come in here don't want to waste time. We show them how they can access our services from work or from home."

One of the online services offered through the business center is the Reference USA database.

The database contains information on 12-million U.S. businesses and 102-million U.S. residents. It is available through a link on the library's Web site, www.palmharborlibrary.org. The library also offers an e-book collection that gives patrons remote access to more than 15,000 electronic books from any computer with Internet access. After coming into the library once to register for the service, e-books on marketing, management and other business topics are available at the user's convenience.

"And it's all free," Coppola said.

Librarian Nicole Barley will devote a portion of her time to assisting patrons using the business center. She specializes in services available for business people, Coppola said.

"I wanted to have a real librarian be the primary contact, rather than a paraprofessional, to demonstrate our commitment to this program," he said.

The library's in-kind contribution to the partnership and business center amounts to more than $20,000 worth of materials, marketing and staff, Coppola said.

The business center also will help Cathy Germer, who has worked in the chamber's office for the past seven months as a business assistance specialist for the Palm Harbor partnership.

"My job is to serve as a resource to the community," Germer said. "People don't realize what is available at the library. The business center has a lot of resources that are helpful to business owners, and that makes it easier for me to do my job."

Fax service, color copying, scanner service and video conferencing are also planned for the future, Coppola said.

Today's opening ceremony will feature presentations from the chamber of commerce and county economic development specialists. Reference librarians will also offer online demonstrations of the Internet business resources available.

"Time is money and money is time," Coppola said. "Our goal is to save business people both."

-- Julie Church can be reached at (727) 445-4229 or church@sptimes.com.

If you go

The formal opening of PHiL's Business Center is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. today at the library, 2330 Nebraska Ave. Refreshments will be served. Call (727) 784-3332.

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