We're a Five-Star Library!

I am delighted to report that Library Journal has listed Allerton Library (under its other name, Monticello Township Library) as a five-star library in its ranking system, which compares libraries of similar sizes all across the United States.

Library Journal took four factors into account when ranking libraries: circulation, visits, program attendance, and Internet use (all per capita, and all based on 2008 numbers). You can see the main page here, and you can see us in the list here, with our per capita scores listed out. We circulated 14.6 items per capita, had 87.9 visits per capita, had .52 program attendances per capita, and .69 Internet uses per capita.

Of course, the article stresses that none of these numbers reflect the quality of library service or patron experience--they reflect quantity only. But we like to think people come in because they like it here. Let's keep it going, everybody!