Wilmette Named 5-Star Library for Third Consecutive Year

Wilmette Public Library has been recognized nationally as a Star Library in Library Journal’s annual statistical review of public library services. The Library has been recognized as a star library each year since 2018, and this is the third consecutive year the Library has received the highest designation of five stars.

Library Journal analyzed 5,846 qualifying libraries, awarding stars to 261 libraries in 40 states. 15 Illinois libraries qualified as star libraries, with 8 earning a five-star rating: Naperville Public Library, Gail Borden Public Library District, Schaumberg Township District Library, Northbrook Public Library, Elmhurst Public Library, Oak Park Public Library, and Ela Area Public Library District, and Wilmette. This year’s five-star rating places Wilmette Public Library among the top 10 libraries nationwide in the $5-9.9 million budget category.

“We are delighted to again receive this recognition of our commitment to excellent service,” says Anthony Auston, Library Director. “The Wilmette and Kenilworth community’s continued support and enthusiasm for our Library inspires us to continue to reach higher. We are honored to be a valued and trusted local resource and to be nationally recognized for it.”

Library Journal, the oldest and most respected library service publication, analyzes and indexes data from public libraries nationwide to recognize American public libraries and improve the pool of nationally collected library statistics. The Star Library provides quantitative analysis in seven key areas—per capita circulation of physical materials, number of visitors, e-circulation, public computer use, program attendance, Wi-Fi sessions, and e-retrievals— to compare libraries within their peer groups nationally. Wilmette performed particularly well in several categories, with notably high performance in the digital realm: e-circulation and Wi-Fi sessions were among the highest among peer libraries, with 7.08 e-circulations per capita and 40.15 Wi-Fi sessions per capita. Wilmette also performed remarkably well in overall circulation (27.18 per capita) and program attendance (1.23 per capita).

For more information about the ratings and Wilmette Public Library’s five-star status, read the full article from Library Journal.