The group met 2-3 times this reporting period.
After reviewing the current PLA Strategic Plan, please tell us:
Describe the current work of this committee and how it supports our strategic goals. Include work accomplished, decisions made, and any recommended follow-up actions.
The Membership Advisory Group advises PLA on membership recruitment, retention, and engagement, directly supporting the strategic goals of Professional Growth, Advocacy and Awareness, Organizational Excellence, and the centering of equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice (EDISJ) in PLA’s work. Over the past year, the group has reviewed membership trends, discussed who is and is not being reached, and provided feedback on engagement strategies and communications, with the goal of strengthening inclusive pipelines and pathways for all public library workers to connect with PLA’s resources and leadership opportunities. This work helps PLA better understand member needs, refine value propositions, and ensure that messaging and benefits reflect the diverse experiences and roles of library staff across the field.
In its discussions and recommendations, the group has focused on practical enhancements such as refining welcome and renewal messages, identifying key audiences for targeted outreach, and suggesting ways to highlight underused benefits like training, networking, and leadership development opportunities. These decisions and suggestions support the strategic plan by making PLA’s communications more welcoming and accessible, amplifying the association’s role as a national voice for public libraries, and improving internal systems and practices so PLA can function as a trusted, innovative membership organization grounded in EDISJ principles.
Do you see opportunities to better align committee work with those goals?
Yes. There are several opportunities to more intentionally connect the group’s existing charge and activities to PLA’s five strategic goals and to make that alignment more visible. For example, the group could explicitly use EDISJ and Transformation lenses when reviewing membership statistics and communications, by routinely asking who is underrepresented, what structural barriers might exist to joining or engaging, and how welcome messages and benefit descriptions can better reflect diverse roles, identities, and library settings. That would position the group not only as a “welcome wagon,” but as a key contributor to PLA’s efforts to build more inclusive, equitable systems and pipelines into association life.
There is also room to strengthen alignment with Professional Growth, Advocacy and Awareness, and Organizational Excellence by deepening partnerships and closing feedback loops. The group could collaborate more intentionally with committees like Professional Development and Leadership Development to co‑promote low/no‑cost trainings and leadership pathways in membership messaging, and share back what members say they need, so those offerings evolve in response. In addition, developing a simple, recurring process for reviewing membership data and member feedback, and then documenting how those insights shape recommendations, would directly support PLA’s goal of measuring impact and adapting to new trends in association work.
What recommendations do you have for in-coming committee members? Are there particular streams of
work in progress to be carried over into the new committee year? (January–June reporting period only)
As this is Jan-June, I am not inputting any recs at this time.
What specific activities will this committee undertake over the next six months to support that alignment? (July–December reporting period only)
Are there other PLA or ALA committees whose partnership and collaboration would accelerate meeting PLA strategic goals?
Yes. Partnerships with certain PLA and ALA bodies could significantly strengthen how the Membership Advisory Group advances the strategic plan. Within PLA, closer collaboration with the Committee on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice, the Leadership Development Committee, and the Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships Committee would help embed EDISJ principles in membership practices, connect member messaging to concrete leadership pathways, and ensure that advocacy stories and impacts are highlighted as key membership benefits. For example, the Membership Advisory Group could routinely share what it learns about member needs with these committees and jointly shape outreach campaigns, conference touchpoints, and onboarding materials that foreground professional growth, equity, and advocacy opportunities.
Beyond PLA, selected ALA‑level groups focused on membership and digital inclusion could be valuable partners. Member‑engagement–oriented committees such as AASL’s Member Engagement Committee and similar entities in other ALA divisions offer models and potential joint efforts around welcoming practices, surveys, and virtual engagement that could be adapted for PLA members. In addition, partnering with ALA digital inclusion and information technology policy groups on messaging about equitable access, technology, and broadband would reinforce PLA’s Advocacy and Awareness and EDISJ goals by connecting PLA membership to national efforts that benefit public libraries and their communities.
Is there anything else about your committee experience you’d like to share?
Nope!
Submitted by Jennifer Baxter & Deborah Hallman on 01/23/2026