Measures That Matter Announces Roster for Initial Iteration of the Public Library Data Alliance

Alliance will continue and expand on the work of the initiative’s action plan

Lexington, KY and Baltimore, MD, July 30, 2020

The Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) and the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) are pleased to announce the roster for the initial iteration of the Public Library Data Alliance (PLDA).  Representing an array of stakeholders, this group will continue the work of the COSLA Measures that Matter initiative.  They are:

Stacey Aldrich, Hawaii State Librarian and President, Chief Officers of State Library Agencies; Susan Benton, Executive Director, Urban Libraries Council; Daphna Blatt, Director, Strategic Research & Analytics, New York Public Library (NY); Maria Chiochios, Assessment Librarian, University of Texas Libraries; Larra Clark, Associate Executive Director, American Library Association & Public Library Association; Sharon Comstock, Senior Lecturer, University of Illinois; Todd Deck, County Librarian, Tehama County Library (CA); Verena Getahun, Library Data Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Education, State Library Services; Lynn Hoffman, Director of Operations, Somerset County Library System (NJ); Kate Laughlin, Executive Director, Association for Rural and Small Libraries; Ryan McCrory, Library Director, Lititz Public Library (PA); Michelle Mears, Library Director, Rolling Hills Library (MO); and Jack Tilney, Analytics Librarian, San Francisco Public Library (CA).

Formation of the PLDA was one of the recommendations in the Measures that Matter Action Plan.  The Measures that Matter initiative, funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), is itself centered on coordinating conversation and action around public library data gathering and use, so that libraries can continuously improve their services to align with community needs and accurately represent the rich story of the 21st-century public library. Data exploration occurs in many forms, at many points, and by many individuals connected to or interested in public libraries.  The vision for the PLDA includes promoting thought leadership, coordination, commitment, resources, and momentum among the many and varied parties.  It will engage broadly with diverse stakeholders to propose strategic actions around data that reflect the role and impact of public libraries at the local, regional, state, and national levels, and also create a communications infrastructure for the field.  

As part of its early work, founding members of the PLDA will work initially from ideas and concepts put forward by the Measures that Matter Action Plan Implementation Group, refining them for productivity, relevance, and sustainability  This work is expected to spawn additional projects led by working groups comprised of subject matter experts and stakeholders drawn from volunteers beyond the core PLDA membership. 

COSLA, the organization that led the Measures that Matter initiative, will maintain its relationship with the PLDA as one of the founding organizations.  “Since 2017 Measures that Matter has fostered broad engagement to develop a strong, collaborative foundation supported by major public library associations,” notes Timothy Cherubini, COSLA Executive Director.  “The PLDA is well-positioned to advance many of the initiative’s ideas, build beyond them, and sustain efforts to enhance public library data collection and use practices.”

The PLDA’s work will be supported by the National Information Standards Organization (NISO) serving as Secretariat.   “The PLDA is a stellar group and we look forward to working with them,” says Todd Carpenter, NISO Executive Director.  “NISO is pleased to help support the formation of the PLDA in the new role of secretariat, building on the progress achieved by Measures that Matter and advancing a more robust ecosystem of library metrics.”

The PLDA will convene virtually for the first time in the next several weeks.  For updates on the project, see the Alliance’s website, join the Measures that Matter mailing list, or follow ‎@libmeasuresmtr on Twitter.

Measures that Matter is made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services RE-0016-0181-16.

About These Organizations

About COSLA

COSLA, Inc. is an independent 501(c)3 organization of the chief officers of state and territorial agencies designated as the state library administrative agency and responsible for statewide library development. Its purpose is to provide leadership on issues of common concern and national interest; to further state library agency relationships with federal government and national organizations; and to initiate cooperative action for the improvement of library services to the people of the United States.  https://www.cosla.org/ 

About NISO

Based in Baltimore, MD, NISO’s mission is to build knowledge, foster discussion, and advance authoritative standards development through collaboration among the cultural, scholarly, scientific, and professional communities. To fulfill this mission, NISO engages with libraries, publishers, information aggregators, and other organizations that support learning, research, and scholarship through the creation, organization, management, and curation of knowledge. NISO works with intersecting communities of interest and across the entire lifecycle of information standards. NISO is a not-for-profit association accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). For more information, visit the NISO website (https://niso.org) or contact us at nisohq@niso.org.