By Kate Kellogg
News and Information Services
The Alpena County Library and Cromaine (Hartland) Library have each received a $1,000 grant from the Competitive Edge Conference Committee, a product of the conference “The Competitive Edge: Information for the New Economy” held at the U-M last November.
The Alpena Library will use the grant to develop a regional business directory to assist small-business owners. The library also will sponsor a seminar for small-business entrepreneurs featuring a videotape on how to start one’s own business.
The Cromaine Library, with the support of the local business community, will sponsor a series of programs designed to develop and improve the business management skills of business persons in the Hartland area.
The two libraries were selected from 13 grant applicants. The Alpena and Cromaine libraries especially showed strong community support, as well as care and creativity in the design and implementation of their projects, according to Richard Hathaway, M-LINK director.
The Competitive Edge Conference and M-LINK, the U-M’s statewide electronic information network, generated funding for the grant program.
The libraries will report on their projects Oct. 30 at the Michigan Library Association Annual Conference in Traverse City.
