Library by Library Journal

by Lisa Lawrence

Have you seen the banners announcing the 5-Star ratings at your local branch library and wondered what that’s all about? We Tulsa County residents know our library is outstanding, but who else thinks so?

A five-star rating is the Library Journal’s highest rating, and TCCL is one of only five such libraries in our same expenditure range category from across the United States. We are in company with two libraries from California, and one each from Missouri and Oregon. Specifically, they are located in San Francisco and Santa Clara County, CA; Saint Louis County, MO; and Multnomah County, OR.

The following eight criteria are used in scoring: (1) circulation of physical items; (2) circulation of e-materials; (3) library visits; (4) program attendance; (5) public computer users; (6) Wi-Fi sessions; (7) library database usage; (8) website visits.

Has TCCL been recognized in past years? In 2019, our libraries received a three-star rating. In 2016, we scored four stars.

It is informative to look at these criteria and compare the TCCL numbers to others in our elite five-star category. Though comparisons must be viewed with each total population number in mind, in categories of program attendance and numbers of electronic retrievals, TCCL ranks high in per capita terms.

The Library Journal is a publication for librarians, founded by Melvil Dewey in 1876. It reports news about the library world, professional library practice, and reviews library-related materials and equipment. Their annual rating of public libraries comes from a survey compiled by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The 2022 report is based on data from 2020 submitted by 5,359 public libraries. Of that total number, 258 libraries were recognized with three, four, or five stars. In other words, less than five percent of participating libraries were recognized, and we are at the top of that group.

Oklahoma has two other libraries that received stars this year. Metropolitan Public Library in Oklahoma City received three stars, as did the Watonga Public Library.

States with the most libraries receiving stars range from Illinois (43), New York (22), Iowa, (22), and Massachusetts (20). Fourteen states have zero libraries that were recognized, including our regional neighbors Arkansas, Georgia, and Mississippi. The Library Journal explains that of those fourteen states, libraries in twelve of those states receive lower than (national) average in total operating expenditures. Funding, of course, is one measure of commitment to the health of a library. Be thankful for Tulsa County citizen support of our libraries, which allows us to offer excellent materials and programs.

What can you do to ensure that we continue to receive high rankings from the Library Journal? Look again at the eight scoring categories, and continue to engage with our TCCL in those ways. For me, I immediately see a couple of criteria that I want to include in my library habits.

Let’s not forget that the outstanding TCCL staff is crucial to the success of each of our 24 branches. Their spirit of teamwork, commitment, and creativity enhances the excellent customer service we receive. Together, we all benefit. Hooray for our libraries! 