RA for All: PLA's 2021 Public Library Staff and Diversity Survey Report With Webinar Explanation

Thursday, August 25, 2022

PLA's 2021 Public Library Staff and Diversity Survey Report With Webinar Explanation

The Public Library Association (PLA) has published the 2021 Public Library Staff and Diversity Survey Report! Read the report to learn about the latest nationwide trends in beginning librarian and library director salaries; traditional and emerging staff roles; staff diversity, recruitment, and retention efforts; and information about public library equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) goals and activities. The survey is the second in a rotating series of three national surveys exploring public library roles, services, and resources to provide actionable data for decision-making and advocacy. The report is available to everyone on the PLA website.

This is a must read for anyone who works in a public library in America. Click here, use the links above, or click on the cover below.

But wait, there is more:

And finally also from PLA:

Participate in the 2022 Survey This Fall
The 2022 PLA Annual Survey, Public Library Services for Strong Communities, will open next month. All US public libraries are encouraged to participate so the field can better understand current trends in how libraries meet the needs of their communities.

All libraries have free access to view key metrics and their own survey responses when they participate in PLA surveys. The PLA Benchmark tool has visualizations and peer comparison data for public libraries to use in planning and advocacy. Subscribe for upgraded access to the interactive data dashboards and to explore the full results from the 2021 Staff and Diversity Survey. All libraries that complete the 2022 survey will receive a 10% discount on an annual Benchmark subscription and a chance to win free PLA 2024 Conference registration!

Learn more about PLA surveys and research at the PLA Surveys and Data page. If you have questions or require assistance accessing your library’s Benchmark account, please contact plabenchmark@ala.org.

We need as many libraries, from all locations and sizes, as possible to participate in the 2022 survey because as much as I find the 2021 results intriguing, I think 2022 is going to be more useful for us to see what is going on after the upheaval of 2020.