Technology in Public Libraries: Results from PLA’s 2023 Annual Survey

Learn about the recently released results from the 2023 Public Library Technology Survey, which include key information on technology capacity, resources for patrons, infrastructure, digital literacy, and staffing in U.S. public libraries. The results address questions such as: How are libraries advancing digital equity in their communities? What types of technology devices do libraries loan to patrons, and are more or fewer libraries offering these items compared to in 2020? What are the primary challenges libraries face in providing technology resources and services?

The powerful, actionable evidence from the Technology Survey supports planning and advocacy at the local, state, and national level. In this free on-demand webinar, presenters share how your library can use the survey report and PLA’s data tools to understand and improve your library's performance, demonstrate value, and increase impact in your community.

PLA members make it possible for us to provide continuing education opportunities like this webinar at no cost. We thank our members for their continuous dedication to the advancement of the public library field and our association.

Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of this free on-demand webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify current trends in technology infrastructure, capacity, resources, and the digital equity work in public libraries;
• Explore survey results and develop potential next steps; and
• Use Benchmark visualizations and participate in future PLA surveys.

Additional Resources

• Slideshow (PDF)
• PLA surveys and reports: https://www.ala.org/pla/data/plasurveys
• Read the 2023 Public Library Technology Survey: Summary Report (PDF) for many more links and resources: https://www.ala.org/sites/default/files/2024-07/PLA_Tech_Survey_Report_2024.pdf
• ALA Press Release on the recent FCC Vote: https://www.ala.org/news/2024/07/ala-praises-fcc-vote-make-wi-fi-hotspots-eligible-e-rate-funding
• PLA Digital Literacy Workshop Incentives: https://www.ala.org/pla/initiatives/digitalliteracy/incentive
• ALA Broadband and Digital Equity Resources: https://www.ala.org/advocacy/broadband
• Free digital skills training tools:
  
  • PLA DigitalLearn: https://www.digitallearn.org/
  • Verizon Skill Forward: https://partnerships.edx.org/verizon
  • Grow with Google: https://grow.google/applied-digital-skills/
• Benchmark: https://librarybenchmark.org/
• About Benchmark: https://www.ala.org/pla/data/benchmark
• Chat Transcript (PDF)

Email: plabenchmark@ala.org

Who Should Attend

This free on-demand webinar is intended for all public library staff, but it may be of particular interest to directors and administrators.

Panelists

Jerianne Thompson (she/her) is director of the Tualatin Public Library, part of the Washington County Cooperative Library Services in Oregon. She has worked in public libraries for more than twenty years and serves as co-chair of PLA’s Measurement, Evaluation, and Assessment Advisory Group.

Sara Goek (she/her) is project manager, data and research, at ACRL and PLA. She is responsible for supporting the divisions’ data and research efforts and developing related training content.

Katina Jones (she/her) is PLA’s program manager for evaluation and assessment. She supports Project Outcome, Benchmark, PLA's annual topical surveys, and other data and evaluation work.

Accommodations

This on-demand webinar is captioned in English (United States).

If you have a physical or communication need that may affect your access to this on-demand webinar, please contact us at plawebinars@ala.org or 800-545-2433 ext. 5PLA (5752) prior to registering so we can attempt to provide appropriate accommodations.

Tech Requirements

To play this on-demand webinar you should use a browser with native HTML5 support. Please use the most up-to-date version available of Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, or Edge. A fast Internet connection and computer is recommended.