Did you know that Waterloo has a library collection dedicated to entrepreneurship? Did you know that this collection has a dedicated librarian who is keen to help entrepreneurial students at Waterloo take full advantage of this resource?
We recently spoke with Davis Centre Librarian, Rachel Figueiredo to learn more about resources available to Entrepreneurs at Waterloo. Here’s what we learned:
RACHEL: I’m Waterloo’s engineering and entrepreneurship librarian. On the entrepreneurship side of things, I help students, faculty, and startups conduct research to better understand their consumer market and industry.
CONRAD SCHOOL: Why have an entrepreneurship library-collection?
RACHEL: At Waterloo, we want to break the typical “try and fail” entrepreneurship cycle. With proper research, you can mitigate failure because you’ll be better informed of the challenges and risks from the beginning. We’re working to develop a library collection that supports this approach to entrepreneurship. We have access to a few market research databases and are continually trying to improve our collection to better support our users.
CONRAD SCHOOL: Can you tell us a little more about the entrepreneurship library collection? What resources are available?
RACHEL: Two databases that we acquired in 2017 are MarketLine and IBISWorld. MarketLine provides global industry and company profiles, as well as case studies on a broad range of companies. IBISWorld provides market reports on Canadian and US industries.
CONRAD SCHOOL: Do you offer support services to students?
RACHEL: I can support students by teaching them to use the databases we subscribe to, as well as helping them navigate the world of freely available information online. By using these resources, entrepreneurs can create a fuller picture of how their idea fits into the industry at large.
CONRAD SCHOOL: How can students access the entrepreneurship library-collection and your support services?
RACHEL: The Library collection is accessible online. Students may find it useful to start at the Research Guide for Entrepreneurs, which acts as a one-stop for finding relevant information specifically related to entrepreneurship. It also lists any database trials relevant to entrepreneurship, including the three that we’re trialing during the month of October. My contact information is also listed on the Research Guide, and I’m happy to connect with students via email, phone, or in-person appointments. If I can’t answer your questions, I’ll try to connect you to someone who can.
Entrepreneurship librarian office hours in the Conrad School Hub
Take advantage of these librarian office hours — they are a great way for entrepreneurial students to access Rachel’s expertise and knowledge.