Working with the Anderson School of Management, the Department of Economics and the School of Public Administration, Parish Memorial Library business and economics librarian, Todd Quinn, helps connect students to information that affects New Mexico’s economic future.
The UNM Business Plan Competition is a seven-month program that helps student entrepreneurs launch a business, culminating in a competition for the best business plans. Todd provides a workshop on accessing market data to participants as part of Entrepreneurship Bootcamp. He is also available to help competition participants access data and research about industries, consumer trends and demographics to position their start-up accurately within the current and future business climate.
“Many of the teams I’ve worked with have gone on to compete and win in national business plan competitions,” said Todd.
The resources available in Parish Library are extensive, and Todd is the person who has to keep track of what information is available. He not only helps identify appropriate data, he also teaches students how to use the data so they understand what they are looking at. Census data, for example, is useful for business and economics. Business students might use it to determine where to find their market demographic while economics students might use it to understand how economic trends affect a region or area.
Todd collaborates with other subject librarians across the University Libraries, supporting the interdisciplinary nature of the programs he works with.
“It is great when students finish research, complete dissertations, win awards, or solve problems and I know that the assistance I’ve provided helped them do it. I’m behind the scenes, but impacting the programs here at UNM,” said Todd.
How does your morning cup of coffee affect global and local business and economics? Nancy Bennett, Parish Library operations manager, creates visually interesting exhibits that combine resources from all four campus libraries with interesting props. Each exhibit highlights a relevant issue while addressing economic questions.
She’s done exhibits on Japanese anime, small business, sumptuary law, and nostalgia marketing featuring everything from books to Beanie Babies, from magazines to manga.
“The displays are an opportunity to feature resources available in the library on a wide variety of subjects, to introduce databases – and just to have some fun,” says Nancy.
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