Public Library Staff and Diversity: Results from PLA’s 2021 Survey

An overview of the results of the 2021 annual survey on Public Library Staff and Diversity. The results provide new and updated information related to beginning librarian and library director salaries; staff roles; hiring and retention efforts; and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) goals and activities. This free on-demand webinar highlights how the data suggests both opportunities and challenges for the future of public libraries. Participants had the opportunity to ask questions and learn how to engage in PLA’s on-going data-related initiatives.

Originally presented October 4, 2022.

The Public Library Staff and Diversity Report: Results from the 2021 PLA Annual Survey was published on August 23, 2022, and is freely and publicly accessible on the PLA website. The full dataset is available in Benchmark.

Learning Outcomes

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

• Identify current trends in public library staff and diversity work;
• Explore survey results and develop potential next steps; and
• Use Benchmark visualizations and participate in future PLA surveys.

Additional Resources

• Slideshow (PDF)
• PLA’s 2021 Survey report and information about the 2022 survey:
  https://www.ala.org/pla/data/plasurveys
• PLA Strategic Plan:
  https://www.ala.org/pla/about/mission
• Benchmark: Library Metrics and Trends:
  https://librarybenchmark.org/
• Data about the library profession (from Public Libraries magazine infographics):
  https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/sara.goek
• ALA-APA Salary Survey:
  https://ala-apa.org/salary-survey/
• Form to share other staffing and EDI resources you have found useful (and see others’ responses):
  https://forms.gle/GDqCfnPGzvhbx3L4A
• Information about writing for PLA:
  https://www.ala.org/pla/resources/publications/publiclibraries/writeforpl
• Background info about Benchmark:
  https://www.ala.org/pla/data/benchmark
• PLA’s Measurement, Evaluation, and Assessment Committee (MEAC):
  https://www.ala.org/pla/about/people/committees/pla-meac
• Email:
  plabenchmark@ala.org
• Chat Transcript (PDF)

Who Should Attend

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

Panelists

Maria McCauley is director of libraries for the City of Cambridge (MA) where she oversees administration, finance, facilities, and operations across seven libraries. She leads a team of 150 talented staff members and works closely with three boards and across the City to achieve an inclusive, ambitious vision of library services for all. Under her leadership, the Cambridge Public Library has increased its budget from $9M to $17M, expanded its branch hours by sixty-five hours per week; opened the award-winning Valente Branch library; launched a STEAM at the Library program including the first free public $1.8M maker space in Cambridge; gone fine free; led a kindergarten card campaign which resulted in an opt-out instead of opt-in process, resulting in approximately 95% of 5 year old’s having library cards; started a social work program; and prioritized the library’s antiracism, equity, and inclusion efforts. She serves on the City of Cambridge’s Family Policy Council and Birth-to-Third Grade initiative.

Maria began her library career twenty-three years ago at the Cambridge Public Library in circulation and reference services. Before returning to Cambridge, she served as the director of libraries in Santa Monica (CA), director of libraries for the City of Somerville (MA), and held several library positions at Northeastern University (Boston, MA). She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University, a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh, and a PhD from Simmons. She is president of the Public Library Association, a major division of the American Library Association (ALA). She served on the American Library Association’s Executive Board and is on the Board of Advisors of Beacon Press.

Dan Hensley is Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s (CPL) coordinator of adult learning and has served on PLA’s Measurement, Evaluation, and Assessment Committee since 2019. Prior to joining CLP, Dan was a reference and instruction librarian at San Francisco Public Library; University of California, Berkeley; and University of Pittsburgh.

Sara Goek is project manager, data and research, at PLA. She is responsible for managing PLA’s data and research initiatives, and developing related training content.

Katina Jones 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.