Libraries help visualizing hidden entrepreneurship

A solution by Bibliotheekservice Fryslân submitted to Find & trigger hidden entrepreneurship

FryskLab and the Frisian libraries are helping to visualize hidden entrepeneurship, using our Agency working method. The system of Open Badges is used to issue credentials to participating entrepreneurs. Using new technology and new ways of networking we hope to inspire and motivate the participants to make their next move.

(Pitched: 21/12/2017)

One Page Summary

We are addressing the challenge proposed by SpareSpace. The targeted community are hidden entrepreneurs who live in the Province of Friesland and Groningen. The target group consists of people who aim to start their own company based on their own hobby or idea.

About us: ‘we’ are FryskLab, a project by Bibliotheekservice Fryslân. With FryskLab we explore the combination of maker culture, digital literacies, lifelong learning and public libraries. Our team consists of librarians, artists, makers, educators and project managers. Besides this we have a mobile makerspace, located in a library truck (12 meters long), and lots of digital fabrication equipment. This means we are very flexible and keen to find solutions (technical or otherwise) where they’re needed. Since the public libraries in Friesland form a network (52 public libraries) we are very often able to connect to a local public library in order to find information and connections which we can benefit from. A number of these libraries also have maker space-facilities.

The implications of implementing our solution means we have people ‘on the ground’ who can be of assistance to a local entrepreneur. It also means we can make use of maker technology, for instance by using our truck, which gives opportunities for entrepreneurs to fabricate themselves, or to give them insight into the possibilities.
At the moment we are working in this way in the village of Ureterp, Friesland. A local start-up entrepreneur, Be-Wonder, is making use of FryskLab to help kickstarting her business. Be-Wonder, a fourniture shop, is discovering the possibilities of our digital embroidery machine and our laser cutter. We facilitate in learning how to use the machines and provide them with suggestions on how to make it valuable for their business.

To add value to the process as a whole we use the system of Open Badges (https://www.openbadges.org) to prove the participants have acquired (new) skills.

FryskLab is member of the International FabLab Network. This means we have access to knowledge, materials and people we can use for this challenge. In the case of the Ureterp project we, for instance, work together closely with FabLab Factory, based in Aalst (Belgium). They are providing the laser cutter Be-Wonder will learn how to work with.