Two of Vermont's small town libraries have just been named to a list of the nation's top public libraries. The Craftsbury Public Library and the Pawlet Public Library were both named to Library Journal's 2013 All Star Libraries list.
The annual list highlights public libraries with high circulation, patron visits, program attendance, and public Internet computer usage per capita. The list further ranks libraries that make the All Star List by awarding them three, four or five stars. Craftsbury Public Library earned the highest ranking of five stars, while the Pawlet Public Library was awarded four stars.
A Nov. 1 Library Journal article by Keith Curry Lance explains how output data are collected:
Since at least 1987, public libraries have been collecting and using three per capita output measures: circulation, visits, and program attendance. Since 1989, data on public library circulation and visits has been collected by state library agencies and compiled nationally. Through 2007, this was done by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and, since then, by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Beginning in 2001, public libraries began reporting uses of electronic resources, and, in 2007, that data element evolved to become uses of public Internet computers. Finally, in 2005, libraries started to report total program attendance. These four per capita statistics comprise the output measures underlying the LJ Index of Public Library Service, on which the annual Star Library ratings are based.
Lance went on to state that, beginning this year, statistics regarding the circulation of electronic materials are also being collected. That data will likely be used to help formulate the 2014 All Star Libraries list.
Craftsbury and Pawlet were the only two libraries in Vermont to make the list. New York State had the most libraries make the list, with 37. A total of 13 states had no libraries on this year's list.
