MLA Personnel Characteristics, 2016: Continuity, Change, and Concerns

The authors discuss results of the 2016 MLA Survey of Personnel Characteristics and compare them to previous studies. We distributed the questionnaire electronically via Qualtrics to 953 unique e-mail addresses of current or recent (since 2013) MLA members. In addition to asking many of the same questions from past surveys, we updated queries regarding scholarship, creative activities, and sexual and gender orientation, and posed new ones about library trends and professional organizations. The decline of public librarians as a proportion of the membership has remained consistent since the large shift experienced between 1997 and 2009. Results suggest a decline in German language familiarity, but more reading knowledge of other languages. Areas of progress include a larger proportion of ethnic and racial minorities. Causes for concern include diminishing budgets and worry that positions vacated due to retirements will remain unfilled.