the new startup garage for innovation? libraries!

Hewlett-Packard Garage

Palo Alto, California

Considered the “Birthplace of Silicon Valley”

Apple Garage

Los Altos, California

The New Startup Garage? Libraries!

Celebrating Words, Ideas and Community

Programming at

Princeton Public Library

Single-branch municipal library

in the heart of downtown

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Staff: 54 FTE • Population: 31,000

•

Cross-departmental programming

team of 15 staff members

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Programs provided for all ages

from infants to seniors

•

“Traditional” in-house programs as well as

community outreach and virtual programs

princetonlibrary.org

1,700 Public Programs per year with

attendance of 50,000 (on average)

March 2012 -- Princeton Tech Meetup organizers happy at their highly successful

first meeting, but also talking and realizing they need a better venue than a bar.

Photo: Khurt Williams

The immediate success of the first tech meetup made it necessary to find a more suitable location

than the bar venue. By virtue of their location and being known by all as the “community’s living room”,

the group’s first choice was to approach Princeton Public Library.

In exchange for use of the space, the group gives back to the library and community

by way of instruction in Computer Programming and Technology to any library patron across

all age groups and experience levels.

Photo: Khurt Williams

Plenty of networking at the 3rd Princeton Tech Meetup. By the

4th Meetup the room was at capacity and standing room only.

Pitching start up ideas, seeking coding assistance and/or investors is all part of a

meetup. The group never knows when the magic connection will happen to get an idea

moving forward with funding or coding. Photo: Khurt Williams

Success has allowed PTM to attract big name speakers

and industry vets such as Brian Kernighan.

Photo: Khurt Williams

The group has grown to 1,500+ members and now has to close off registration at 180

per meetup. Attendees are diverse, with a strong showing from women and minorities.

Photo: Khurt Williams

Princeton Tech Meetup members also give back to the library by volunteering their time to do

programs such as the hugely successful “Droid vs iOS Smackdown” and the follow up program “The Drupal vs.

WordPress Great Debate”. The library promotes these events numerous ways, including via Facebook.

For more information on Princeton Public Library please visit: www.princetonlibrary.org

For Princeton Tech Meetup information or to attend a meetup visit: meetup.com/princeton-tech

Celebrating Words, Ideas and Community