Chicago, IL -- October 15, 2024. The Public Library Association (PLA) has opened its annual survey and invited all U.S. public libraries to participate. The 2024 Public Library Staff Survey aims to better understand library staff roles and representation, hiring and retention practices, and goals and activities aimed at creating a welcoming environment for staff and community members of all backgrounds and abilities in public libraries nationwide. The survey is open now through Dec. 14, 2024.

This survey was first administered in 2021 and the Measurement, Evaluation, and Assessment Advisory Group worked with PLA staff to update the survey to meet library needs for actionable data about staff roles and related policies. The data gathered in 2024 will inform how the field has evolved in the past three years.

Key findings from the 2021 Staff Survey:

• "Traditional" library staff roles, such as youth and adult services, are the most common, but the prevalence of roles that incorporate social media and digital outreach (74%), workforce and small business development (18%), and social work (8%) illustrate a growing range of programs and services in public libraries.
• In 2021 the median annual salary of a public library director reported was $79,022, and the median annual salary of a beginning librarian was $41,864. When viewed with historic PLA salary data, beginning librarian salaries have been virtually flat, and library director salaries have not recovered to pre-Great Recession levels.
• More than a quarter (27%) of all public libraries report they lost staff positions in the prior 12 months. City (32.7%) and suburban (33.2%) libraries were slightly more likely to have lost staff positions than town/rural libraries (21.1%).
• Staff demographics of the library sector do not reflect those of the U.S. population. Not all libraries or local governments, however, collect data on staff representation, and not all libraries were able to accurately report it. About 92% of libraries report using at least one strategy for hiring staff from underrepresented groups.
• Virtually all (95%) public libraries report they engage in at least one type of EDI activity. More than a quarter (27%) of public libraries have formal EDI plans, and 25% report they have dedicated EDI staff roles.

In addition to these findings, the report on the 2021 survey included possible starting points for libraries to take action in advocating to fill staff positions, reducing the potential for bias in the hiring process, and for evaluating their physical space to ensure inclusivity and accessibility. The 2024 Staff Survey aims to build upon these results and deliver up-to-date and actionable data in response to the questions PLA hears from our partners and members about staffing and inclusion trends. One such partnership with the ALA Public Programs Office's Libraries Transform Communities initiative resulted in this year's special section on accessibility of library facilities and services.

"Collecting data through this partnership exemplifies PLA's commitment to providing actionable data for public library decision-making and advocacy", says PLA President Michael Lambert. "By providing insight into the evolving state of library staff roles, representation, and building and service accessibility, we strive to maintain libraries as cornerstones of their communities—welcoming spaces that serve and uplift everyone."

How to participate

Participation in the survey is simple and is open to all U.S. public libraries (administrative entities). Log in to your library's free Benchmark account. Please contact plabenchmark@ala.org if you require assistance in accessing your library's Benchmark account. Additional information about the survey can be found on the PLA website. Participants will also be entered into a drawing to win group registration for a live or on-demand PLA webinar in 2025.

PLA will publish a freely available report on the 2024 findings within a year. Reports on previous annual survey results can be found on the PLA website.

About the Public Library Association

The Public Library Association (PLA) is the largest association dedicated to supporting the unique and evolving needs of public library professionals. Founded in 1944, PLA serves nearly 9,000 members in public libraries large and small in communities across the United States and Canada, with a growing presence around the world. PLA strives to help its members shape the essential institution of public libraries by serving as an indispensable ally for public library leaders. For more information about PLA, contact the PLA office at 1 (800) 545-2433, ext. 5PLA, or pla@ala.org.