Thursday, March 12, 2009

Our little library

We recently had some incredible news at the Kilbourn Public Library:

The Kilbourn Public Library stands out among the nation's libraries as it attained the maximum five-star ranking in the Library Journal's Index of Public Library Service.

The report ranked 7,115 libraries across the country in categories based on the size of their budgets. The libraries were rated based on the number of visitors to the library, circulation, Internet use and participation in library programs. Two hundred fifty six were awarded three, four or five stars. Only 84 libraries of the 256 scoring in the top tiers placed in the five-star category.

Librarian Jess Bruckner said Kilbourn Public Library placed high for the amount of Internet traffic at the library.

"Our library ranked third in the nation out of all starred libraries for public Internet terminal uses per capita," Bruckner said.

According to records kept by Library Director Cathy Borck, the number of computer users peaked in 2007 compared to the last four years. There were 34,546 computer uses in 2007. That same year there were 2,864 wireless Internet uses. In 2006, the year for which data was used in the Library Journal report, the library had 30,953 computer uses.

Kilbourn Public Library also scored well for the number of people to visit the library among competitors in the $200,000 to $399,000 expenditures category.

In 2006, library users visited the library 101,141 times. Circulation was 81,496.

"This ranking mechanism, it validates that the library is a valued institution within the community by its members and guests..." Bruckner said. He added that the library's ranking can also be a call to library non-users that they become better acquainted with the services in their own town.

Borck said the ranking shows that the library is meeting the community's demands and attributes its success to the staff.

Only three libraries in the state were given star-rankings, and only Kilbourn got all five stars. And as you read, we are one of only 84 five star libraries in the entire country.

We have reason to be proud.

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