Evolving Staff Roles, Policies, and Practices: Results from PLA's 2024 Annual Survey

Watch this free on-demand webinar to learn about the results from the 2024 Public Library Staff Survey. These results include key information on library staff roles and representation, hiring and retention practices, and library goals and activities aimed at creating a welcoming environment for staff and community members of all backgrounds and abilities. The powerful, actionable evidence from the Staff Survey supports planning and advocacy at the local, state, and national level. 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.

Learning Outcomes

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

• Identify current trends in public library staffing, hiring and retention practices, and accessibility accommodations;
• Explore survey results and Benchmark visualizations to develop local potential next steps; and
• Understand how their library can participate in the 2025 topical survey addressing library programs and services.

Additional Resources

• Access PLA’s Topical Surveys and Reports
• 2024 and 2025 Survey Questions
  • A reference copy of the 2024 survey is included as Appendix B of the 2024 Public Library Staff Survey Report
  • Preview the 2025 Services for Strong Communities survey questions
• Diversity in librarianship articles referenced in the 2024 survey report:
  • Gallup & ALA, “Empowering Voices, Inspiring Change: Advancing Diversity within Librarianship,” 2025
  • Curtis L. Kendrick, “Changing the Racial Demographics of Librarians,” Ithaka S+R, April 18, 2023
• Benchmark Information Page
• Sources of non-PLA data accessible via Benchmark
  • IMLS Public Libraries Survey – Library data (FY2006-FY2023) and Data Tools and Tables
  • U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey Data
• Questions? Email: plabenchmark@ala.org

Who Should Attend

This free on-demand webinar is relevant to public library directors, administrators, and staff and data managers. However, staff from any level within their organizations are welcome to attend to learn more about PLA surveys and advocacy.

Panelists

Laurie Covington (she/her) is deputy assistant director of statistics and business intelligence at the Houston (TX) Public Library, where she oversees statistics, grants, volunteers, hiring, and training. She is one of the co-chairs of PLA’s Measurement, Evaluation, and Assessment Advisory Group and has served in the group since 2021.

Sara S. Goek, PhD, (she/her) is project manager, data and research with the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and the Public Library Association (PLA), divisions of the American Library Association. She supports data-related initiatives, including the annual surveys, Benchmark, and Project Outcome. Sara holds a PhD in History/Digital Arts and Humanities from University College Cork.

Katina Jones (she/her) is the program manager for evaluation and assessment at PLA. She supports PLA's data tools, annual topical surveys, and other data and evaluation work. Katina started her library career working as the state data coordinator at the Missouri State Library, followed by nearly nine years as the data analyst at one of that state's largest suburban public libraries.

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.