Academic Library Staffing Models in Support of the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem: An Examination of Case Studies

Academic libraries are increasingly involved in the support of student entrepreneurship on their campuses, both in programming and the curriculum. As the understanding that librarians are a key component for student success as part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem widens, libraries have been adapting and designating various staffing models in response. This chapter includes a literature review of case studies to examine various types of staffing in academic libraries providing support to entrepreneurship and innovation programs. The chapter highlights best practices for each of several staffing models. Potential models range from entrepreneurial outreach done by business librarians, creation of the entrepreneurship librarian position within an institution, how library-owned innovation/incubator spaces are staffed, and other creative models deployed for providing support to the entrepreneurial student.