A website created by three University of Wisconsin students was launched last month as a resource for artists, libraries and the general population.

The endeavor, Library as Incubator Project, serves as a research tool not only for users but also for the founders who created the site. School of Library and Information Studies students Laura Damon-Moore, Erinn Batykefer and Christina Endres co-founded the project after Damon-Moore presented the idea, inspired by an article based on an artist who currently uses libraries for artistic research, according to a UW statement. After individually surveying multiple artists, the trio expanded to the creation of the website as the most efficient way to share and gather information.

“We thought it would be great to connect art and libraries because there are so many ways for these two parts of our culture to support each other,” Endres, who has a background in advocating for libraries, said in an email to The Badger Herald.

During a period of budget cuts and decreased spending, Endres said the site’s creation comes at an ideal time in the economy.

“When budgets for libraries and arts coalitions are being gutted, these two entities can combine, support and promote each other,” Damon-Moore said in the statement.

Integrating libraries and art, the website services an array of users while recognizing that one research method or one library is not going to meet the needs of every artist, Endres said.

Through research, Endres said, the group is finding that libraries are used by artists in many different ways. This, along with the knowledge that many artists conduct research in what Endres described as a “serendipitous and scattered” manner, promotes the concept of a communal location to browse for inspiration.

“We want to develop a community and a conversation that’s ongoing,” Damon-Moore said in the statement.

From artists to libraries to nonprofit organizations, Library as Incubator Project provides a medium through which people are able to communicate, conduct research and present their work, while informing patrons about the various contributions libraries make to communities, the statement said.

Since going live in October, the project has received an abundance of support on campus and from the community. Local author and UW alumna Rita Mae Reese showed her support by creating a kit for the site called, “Primary Sources: A Poetry Workshop Or, How to Steal Your Next Great Idea From The Library Stacks,” the statement said.

While excited about the positive feedback, Endres said there is still work to be done.

“We’ve been getting a great response! People have been liking us on Facebook, commenting on articles and we’ve gotten some great feedback. We’re still working out kinks and adding content, but so far so good,” Endres said.

Looking forward, the founders hope to expand into other media.

“We hope that interest in the site will continue to grow as the word gets out,” Batykefer said. “We want this to be a sustainable part of our careers as we move forward as professionals after library school.”

Aspirations for Library as Incubator Project include the creation of an online hub to share resources and support, the integration of events and a printed publication, Endres said.

Currently the site is looking for contributors, Endres added. All interested should visit the “Contribute” section on the website.