Welcome to the Public Libraries Survey guide!
This guide provides an overview of the Public Libraries Survey, section by section, as they appear in the survey collection tool.
You can use the menu on the left to navigate through different sections of the survey. Each section contains a FAQ. Support materials for completing the survey can be found below. Additional guides for specific questions are found on the relevant pages.
Maryland uses Collect Connect, the Bibliostat survey collection tool.
Important Dates
The FY2023 survey opens November 6, 2023 and closes December 15, 2023.
The reporting period for the FY2023 survey is July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.
The resources on these pages are inspired by the State of Rhode Island Office of Library & Information Services libguides. Our thanks for their incredible work!
Instructions and Tutorials
Survey questions and instructions for the FY23 PLS are now available for download below including the recording of the FY23 PLS Training.
FY23 Public Libraries Survey Training - October 17, 2023 (video) (transcript and chat available upon request)
FY23 Public Libraries Survey Worksheet
Best Practices Instructions
Electronic Resources Flowchart - The "What goes where" flowchart for data elements covering electronic collections, electronic resources, and successful retrieval of electronic information.
Best Practices for Tracking Shared Programming
Multiple Outlet Hours Calculator - Calculates total annual and weekly operating hours, as well as annual non-overlapping hours for libraries with multiple outlets.
The Maryland Public Libraries Survey (PLS) is based on the annual PLS completed by each state and submitted to the Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS), the federal agency responsible for funding and support to libraries and museums. Per the IMLS website, “the PLS examines when, where, and how library services are changing to meet the needs of the public. These data, supplied annually by public libraries across the country, provide information that policymakers and practitioners can use to make informed decisions about the support and strategic management of libraries.”
At the state level, we use data collected from the PLS to communicate key metrics about Maryland libraries to stakeholders and other state agencies, to distribute staff development grants, which are formula-based, and to support each library system in their data needs.
