In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the Public Library Association (PLA) is coordinating with several ALA units and other library organizations to survey the library community to understand the current impacts the crisis is having on their operations, programs, services and finances. It is seeking input from all library types and is making the survey available until Monday, May 18, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. CDT.
Click on the links below to respond to the survey on behalf of your organization and view a pdf copy to help you plan your answers. The survey should take about 15 minutes to complete, and all completed respondents will be automatically entered to win one of ten $30 gift certificates to the ALA Store. Thank you in advance for your responses.
Who should complete the survey?
Library directors or someone designated at the library who will complete the survey on behalf of the system. If you are unsure if your library has submitted a response, please contact Emily Plagman at eplagman@ala.org or 312-380-1344.
When will the survey close?
Monday, May 18, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. CDT.
How will the data be used?
- ALA staff will aggregate the results of actions libraries are taking in responses to COVID-19 to inform its advocacy efforts on behalf of libraries.
- ALA staff will share the complete data file, including identifying information, with partners to assist with the analysis of the results. Those entities will use the identifying information for analysis purposes only, to categorize libraries based on characteristics such as size or locale. Each partner entity will be identified as work is assigned and underway.
- PLA will share anonymized results with its Public Library Data Alliance partners, excluding financial-related data, as part of its commitment to collaborate with external partners on field-wide data collection efforts.
- PLA will work with its relevant committees, such as the Measurement, Evaluation and Assessment Committee and others, to develop content to support and grow library efforts to respond to community needs during the crisis.
- ALA will make anonymized, aggregate results, excluding financial-related data, publicly available after the survey closes.
Who should I contact with questions?
Email ala@ala.org or call 312-380-1344.
