ASLU 093: The Best Free Resource For Creative Entrepreneurs with Christina Neigel

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This episode is brought to you by Fine Lime Designs Illustrations

There is a hidden gem - right in your neighbourhood - that's an astonishing wealth of inspiration, resources, and community building opportunities. And it's all FREE. University librarian, Dr. Christina Neigel, stops by to help us navigate this amazing resource we all have access to!

Nearly every community in Canada has access to a library and with that access comes access to even more libraries throughout your province.

There are databases of fine arts, short stories and even resources to help you choose your next printer.

There are residency programs for writers, artists, singers, songwriters and even entrepreneurs. There are maker spaces in libraries like Sheep River, Alberta and Quesnel, BC as well as digital technology hubs in urban centres like Vancouver and Toronto where you can access expensive creative software (this Adobe Creative Squite) recording and sound booths, and green screens.

Want to research the post WW1 fasion to inspire your next clothing or jewellery collection a la Downton Abbey? Want to host a workshop for your community? Want to take a course on how to use Adobe Illustrator right now so you can create a vector based logo but don’t have the budget for it? Maybe you’d like to look through back issues of your food magazines to get a taste for food photography trends from decades ago (notice the trend to cookbooks and photos that look like they came straight from 1978?) or get inspiration for digital layouts?

Your library has all of this and it’s free - with your library card.

Maybe you just need somebody to help you with research for your work, or even your business? Did you know know your local library might be able to help you with market reserach, due diligence and even contractor background checks for when you take on that new studio space that need an overhaul? Some libraries can provide all these services for you - for a fee!

So let’s find out more!

This Episode Is For…

This is a great episode for anyone who:

  • may not remember where their library card is

  • has a library card but only thought they could get books, ebooks and DVDs at their local library

  • wants to connect their art and their business more with their local community

  • wants to do in depth research into a creative project through archives

  • is looking for rare or hard to find works

  • is boot strapping or operating on a shoe string budget but would still like access to online creative education platforms, software tools or digital equipment to help them produce their work

  • is looking for inspiration on starting a creative business but doesn't know where to start

  • wants to get access to Consumer Reports for free! (and lots of other really great stuff!)

  • is interested in artists/writer/singer/entrepreneur in residence programs

Christina Neigel has a Master’s in Library and Information Studies and a Doctorate in Education with a focus on post-secondary leadership. After nearly 20 years teaching undergraduates in a small regional university, Christina is moving to a new role as a University Librarian where she intends to continue the heart-work needed to decolonize herself, her practice, and her workplace.

Christina once wrote a text-book on the Dewey Decimal system. Fuelled by the many jokes that work spawned, she thought she would write her dissertation on library stereotypes in today’s popular culture. She would like everyone to know, nothing has changed. For fun, she likes to start art projects, mostly painting and lino-cut printmaking, and sometimes, she even finishes them.

If you just want the links to the resources mentioned in this episode, scroll down to the bottom.

Listen To the Episode

Here’s a link to this week’s episode. You can also listen via the player below or on your favourite podcast app (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, Stitcher, and more). Just search for And She Looked Up!

in this episode we discuss:

  • the space, both literally and figuratively, that libraries take up in our society and our communities

  • the different kinds of resources available in today’s community libraries that creatives and creative entrepreneurs can benefit from

  • the different kinds of services that are available (yes, services!)

  • the different resources and services you can access from your home

  • how you can have an impact on the programming your local library offers the community

  • how you can access academic and specialty libraries or even libraries outside of your community

Mentioned in this episode

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Podcast Episode, Inspiring WomenMelissa HartfielS3, creative enterpreneurshp, inspiration, resources, librariesComment