Naperville Public Library has earned a 5-star ranking from the Library Journal’s Index of Public Library Service as published in the November 1, 2013 issue of Library Journal. This is the 6th year in a row that the Naperville Public Library has earned a 5-star ranking, earning its first 5-star rating just years after the libraries 2003 opening.
The Library Journal index measures libraries based on circulation, visits, program attendance, and public internet terminal usage on a per capita basis. To qualify for eligibility, libraries must serve a minimum population of 1,000, and have a minimum budget of $10,000, and report data in each of the four categories to state library agencies. This reported data is then collected by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and used in the Library Journal Index. The resulting data signifies how much a library is used by the public.
The Library Journal index gives the top 30 scores in an expenditure group a rating. There are a total of nine expenditure groups with Naperville being in expenditure group $10m-$29.9m. The top ten scores are given a 5- star rating, the next ten scores a 4-star rating, and the remaining ten a 3-star rating.
What the Library Journal index doesn’t measure? “Quality, excellence, effectiveness, value, or appropriateness of library services.” So if you’re a Naperville library visitor, let’s remind the library of how thankful we are of the excellent quality of appropriate library services we receive at a great value. Let’s remind the library of how proud we are of having a 5-star library in our community.
Source:http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/11/managing-libraries/lj-index/class-of-2013/all-the-stars-2013-state-by-state#IL
