Click to read this article from Brooking’s Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking
Ives Squared
Ives Squared is an inclusive front door to innovation, offering programs, services, equipment, and resources to aspiring entrepreneurs and creatives at New Haven’s downtown Ives Library branch.
31,000+
“check-ins” for programs, coaching, and activities
Tinker Lab
The Ives TinkerLab offers tabletop fabrication equipment, training, and professional design computers, with programming from a seasonal Creative-in-Residence who offers classes and coaching sessions.
Before COVID, the Tinker Lab supported:
4,330 equipment and design computer sessions
167 equipment certificates
283 design software certificates
Exchange
In the Exchange - a free workspace - a seasonal Entrepreneur-in-Residence organizes events and holds mentorship office hours alongside programs from partnering entrepreneur support organizations.
Before COVID, the Exchange supported:
903 mentorship office hours
104 individual aspiring entrepreneurs
Switchboard
Coordinated by the Ives Squared librarians at the Switchboard (Ives Squared front desk), public events like Grow with Google and the Artpreneur interview series develop talent and build community.
600+ creative and cultural events
4,200 participants
Pandemic Response
Doors Closed, Library Focuses On Digital Resources (Arts Paper Article)
With the spring 2020 closure of the Library’s physical branches, the Ives Squared team has focused on remote programs to meet their clients needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Offering take-home maker kits, virtual resources for businesses, and a Zoom interview series, Ives Squared virtual programs have drawn over 8,500 views.
business resources
The Ives Squared Digital Toolkit features databases and digital resources which are crucial for innovators, entrepreneurs, creatives, and business and nonprofit professionals, including free access (with a library card) to:
Creativebug
SEMRush
Foundation Directory Online
Statista
Lynda.com
Mergent Intellect
Gale Plan Builder
Device Checkout
With the pandemic highlighting the deep inequalities in access to computers and home internet, the Ives Squared team launched a pilot device checkout program, with 52 laptops and 122 wifi hotspots available for residents.
by the data
Since opening in the summer of 2018, 31,136 people have checked in for Ives Squared programs, coaching, or equipment. And use has been growing - before closing for the pandemic in March, monthly visits were up a remarkable 90% over the same period the previous year.
In a survey of 473 participants, 60.22% identified as non-white, 59% identified as female, and over 72% were New Haven residents.
Regular Community Voice Panels incorporate feedback from library patrons and participants into the Ives Squared program and future events.
Click the image for a pre-pandemic dashboard of Ives Squared users.