St. Charles Public Library Gets High Marks for Service

One of America’s Star Libraries

In the October 1, 2010 issue of Library Journal, our library received a three-star rating as one of their “America’s Star Libraries” in the LJ Index of Public Library Service 2010. We were one of seven Illinois public libraries in the $5,000,000 - $9,999,999 expenditure range category. The ratings are based on four per capita service outputs: visits, circulation, program attendance, and public internet terminal use. Read the article.

Top Ten Library

The St. Charles Public Library again has received high marks for service in the 2010 HAPLR (Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings). For the fifth year, it has been ranked in the top ten in the ranking of public libraries in our population category of 25,000-49,999. There are 10 population categories and the 10 top U.S. libraries are selected in each category. The ranking is done by Thomas J. Hennen, Jr., a Wisconsin library director. The Hennen scale rates libraries in 15 categories that include circulation, staffing, reference service, expenditures per capita, and the collection itself, all of which are considered to be essential to quality service. The study provides a comparative rating system that Library Boards can use to evaluate and improve services. Hennen published his first edition of Hennen’s American Public Library Rating Index in the American Libraries magazine in 1999.

10/2010