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CHICAGO — The Public Library Association (PLA) Strategic Plan 2022—2026 is now available on the PLA website, following its unanimous approval by the PLA Board of Directors in June 2022. Informed by member surveys, member and partner interviews, and PLA leadership and staff engagements, the PLA strategic plan centers Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (EDISJ) and expands PLA’s role as a platform for innovation and amplifier for sharing public library community impacts.

The PLA Board of Directors began the process of updating the strategic plan in 2021. In reviewing the five high level goals of PLA’s 2018 plan (Transformation; Leadership; Advocacy and Awareness; Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice; and Organizational Excellence), they found that PLA and libraries had made progress towards reaching these goals, and that the goal areas were still largely relevant.

The pandemic and national outcry for racial and social justice, and the impact of both on public libraries were key considerations in the strategic plan refresh. A lot has changed since 2018, and PLA's 2022-2026 strategic plan aims to keep pace with these changes. The plan embeds Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice throughout the four other refreshed strategic goals: Transformation; Professional Growth; Advocacy; and Organizational Excellence. In addition to centering EDISJ, these goals aim to focus on all library workers as critical to the success of libraries. The plan further describes PLA’s role as a trusted partner to public libraries as they work to meet community needs and serve the public good.

“It was essential to the Board to move from strategic goals previously expressed as discrete or linear and commit to how they are interconnected and supportive of one another,” said Maria McCauley, PLA President and Director of Libraries at Cambridge (MA) Public Library. “The needs and roles of library workers are dynamic, but our commitment to equity and inclusion in the profession and in our communities must be a driver for all our programs and services in a range of expressions in our diverse communities.”

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.