The Daily Tell

The Washington State Library gave a $50,000 grant to the King County Library System (KCLS) to develop an online resource center for struggling small business owners and entrepreneurs.

The online resource center, called InfoBiz, will offer streaming videos, tutorials and podcasts on demand, detailing business strategies, resources and concepts presented by local business experts. In addition, KCLS librarians will create online videos and tutorials to teach small business owners to use the library’s resources for their own business needs.

"By making useful information easily accessible online at any time, InfoBiz will resolve a variety of obstacles and connect small business owners with the assistance they need," The Washington State Library wrote.

Topics under consideration for InfoBiz online videos and tutorials making a business a plan, finding and keeping customers in hard times, collection strategies for small businesses, funding a start-up, using library materials for market research, marketing a small business through online social networking, and information on various partner agencies that offer assistance to small businesses.

"The on-demand videos will be more convenient for users, allowing them to view subjects when and where they choose," the state library noted.

Support for the grant came from the Renew Washington Project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The Gates Foundation originally awarded the money to the Washington State Library, who gave the money to the King County Library System as a sub-grant.

The Washington State Library is a division of the Office of the Secretary of State. It was founded in 1853 and is located in Olympia. Using its one-year $400,000 grant from the Gates Foundation, the library will work with 17 public libraries to improve career resources for patrons.