The American Library Association (ALA) announced that Boyle County Public Library (BCPL) is one of six libraries in Kentucky selected to participate in the current round of Libraries Lead with Digital Skills, an initiative of ALA and the Public Library Association (PLA), sponsored by Grow With Google, the tech company’s economic opportunity initiative. 

The library and its community partners will offer three workshops targeted at small businesses, for the development of skills and resources needed to thrive under COVID-19 restrictions.

“We are excited to support our small business community as it responds to the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Caleb Conover, Public Services Librarian at BCPL. “While some businesses are currently in the process of reopening, many have seen a high demand for transitioning into an online format – with that demand comes a need for new skill sets and tools to conduct business.”

The library has partnered with the Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Partnership, CentreWorks, Heart of Danville, and Main Street Perryville to implement the workshops, focused on the three topics of “Google for Small Business,” “Online Sales Platforms,” and “Analytics.” 

The first workshop is scheduled to take place on Friday, July 10, at 8:30 a.m., with the following two workshops occurring on July 24 and August 7. The workshops will be conducted online via Zoom, with access provided by CentreWorks. 

“At the Chamber, we are very happy to work with the library, Google, and our other partners to offer this no-cost program for the small business community,” said Jeff Jewel, Executive Director of the Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce. “The skills we will be learning are needed more than ever as we find ways to keep our businesses thriving during these challenging times.”

CentreWorks, a new venture for Centre College, offers opportunities in the fields of business, entrepreneurship, and community development for both students and community members. While their physical space continues renovation, CentreWorks is providing the partnership with a virtual space to conduct workshops.

“CentreWorks is excited to work with the Boyle County Public Library and community partners by providing a platform for this timely series designed to help local businesses build the skills they need to thrive despite the current uncertainty,” said Dr. Andrew Patrick, Associate Director of CentreWorks.

Utilizing funds provided by the Libraries Lead with Digital Skills initiative, the first 20 participants in the workshop will qualify for a no-cost, follow up consultation with The Idea Farm, a local marketing and consultancy firm. Interested parties are encouraged to monitor the Boyle County Public Library’s event calendar and Facebook page for details on how to register for the workshop series, as they become available: www.BoylePubLib.org/events and @boylepublib.

“The library is truly grateful for the support and collaboration we share with our community partners – this opportunity would not have been possible without their participation and expertise. We look forward to providing these workshops and follow up consultations, in addition to highlighting existing resources for our small business community,” said Conover.

“Libraries have long been America’s gathering place for learning. From learning new digital skills for the workplace, to creating a résumé or growing your business online, people are going to libraries as resources for professional growth now more than ever,” said Nicky Rigg, program manager for Digital Skills outreach at Google. “Grow with Google is excited to support library programs across the country to help ensure that economic opportunity exists for everyone.”  

This program is funded by Libraries Lead with Digital Skills, which was created so that local libraries can combine their own program offerings with Grow with Google training materials to offer virtual community workshops or other activities aimed at empowering small businesses to grow online or assisting job seekers to prepare for and find work.

The Grow with Google initiative draws on Google’s 20-year history of building products, platforms, and services that help people and businesses grow. Through this initiative, we aim to help everyone across America – those who make up the workforce of today and those who will drive the workforce of tomorrow – access the best of Google’s training and tools to grow their skills, careers, and businesses. Learn more at grow.google. 

The Boyle County Public Library serves the city of Danville and the surrounding communities, and is actively committed to enriching the lives of its patrons. The library is located at 307 West Broadway.