Ecosystem Partner Spotlight: How a Simple Library Lending Program Gave Entrepreneurs the Tools to Build Legitimacy
Not everyone who wants to build a business has a laptop to build it on. For participants in Empire Dreams’ adult business accelerator program–people working to pitch investors, create marketing plans, and manage their finances–the absence of a personal device wasn’t a minor inconvenience. It was a wall.
The KC Digital Drive Connection
A connection made through KC Digital Drive brought Empire Dreams together with KC Public Library’s partner Chromebook lending program, and what followed was straightforward, fast, and exactly the kind of partnership both organizations had been looking for. Empire Dreams needed devices; KC Public Library had them and was actively looking for the right partner organizations to place them with.
When KC Digital Drive’s Digital Inclusion Program Manager, Leslie Scott, linked Empire Dreams Executive Director Kimberly Ann to Wendy Pearson, Digital Equity & Inclusion Manager at KC Public Library (KCPL), Wendy’s response was direct: “We can save you.”
Wendy credits that kind of connector role as essential to the library’s distribution model. KCPL’s Chromebook lending program for organizations–rather than individual patrons–grew out of an Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) grant that purchased 1,200 Chromebooks. Over time, the library found that lending through partner organizations produced 80 to 90 percent return rates, far better than patron lending. As part of its new strategic plan, KCPL sunsetted patron lending entirely and shifted its focus to organization partnerships. At the time Empire Dreams came along, Wendy was actively looking for more partners. The fit was immediate.
What the Work Looks Like on the Ground
Initially, KCPL checked out about a dozen Chromebooks to Empire Dreams for use in their business accelerator cohort. For anyone in Empire Dreams’ network who doesn’t yet have a library card, Kansas City Public Library made it easy: staff issued cards on site during the Chromebook checkout.
Three to four weeks in, Kimberly was already seeing the impact. Participants were showing up to workshops and pulling out laptops–not having to use their phones–to look things up, check documents, and work on their presentations in real time.
“It makes people feel so official,” Kimberly said.
Pitch decks were being built on library Chromebooks. Participants were creating what Kimberly described as legitimate marketing and communications plans–and doing it with tools that matched the professionalism of what they were trying to build. “If you don’t have access to a device, it creates a sense of worth and dignity.”
Wendy noted that this gap shows up constantly in KCPL’s Tech Access drop-in hours. People try to complete government forms or apply for benefits on their phones, on platforms that aren’t designed for mobile and don’t save progress. “Canva is almost impossible to do on your phone,” she said. “I couldn’t imagine doing this on a phone.”
What’s Available–and What’s Next
The partnership has room to grow. Kansas City Public Library has Chromebooks available and is willing to lend repeatedly as long as there’s a need. Empire Dreams runs multiple business accelerator cohorts throughout the year and is also planning teen and youth programs where device access will matter just as much.
Beyond Chromebooks, KC Public Library offers a broader ecosystem of digital equity resources that many people don’t know exists. Tech Access drop-in hours operate at seven branch locations, staffed by AmeriCorps members who can help with troubleshooting. The library lends hotspots for 21-day periods (demand is high, and wait times are common). Specialists on staff can assist with job searching, resume building, mock interviews, civic engagement, voter registration, expungement, legal aid, small business support, and health and wellness. The library also maintains a “street sheet”–a regularly updated directory of community organizations providing basic needs–and a digital version is in development by Tech Access Partnerships Coordinator, Megan McNaughton. Free database access, including market research tools, is available to anyone with a library card.
Learn More
- Empire Dreams: kimberlym @ empiredreams dot org
- KC Public Library – Digital Equity & Inclusion: wendypearson @ kclibrary dot org