PEW Research released a new study on the sharing economy and on-demand services. They report that 22% of Americans have contributed to an online fundraising project on a site like Kickstarter or GoFundMe; 15% have used ride-hailing apps like Uber or Lyft; and 11% have used online home-sharing services such as Airbnb or HomeAway.

Libraries have always been in the sharing economy!  Shared materials and online services, providing spaces for government and other organizations’ materials and even shared study and work spaces.  Accenture Consulting has posted an article about the opportunity the sharing economy presents to drive government innovation.  As local governments discuss this, get in the conversation!

Has your library tried a crowdfunding project?  Was it successful?  Anything you would like to share with other libraries about your experience?  Anything you would like to share about the sharing economy?   Email me!