Legislators, give libraries their due in new budget: Thomas Suddes
Today 5:31 AM
The Lee Road branch of the Heights Libraries at 2345 Lee Road in Cleveland Heights. Ohio libraries, including the Heights Library system, consistently rank at or near the top of national rankings, benefiting all Ohioans. Which is why Ohio lawmakers should not pare back state support for libraries in the upcoming two-year budget, writes Thomas Suddes in his column today.
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If you’re an Ohioan who loves his or her public library, here’s a critical heads-up: Ohio’s proposed two-year budget, pending in the Senate, would cut state aid to Ohio’s libraries which are among the nation’s very best.
Vernon Area earns 4-star rating among U.S. public libraries Lincolnshire-based Vernon Area Public Library has been recognized as a star library in Library Journal s national index.Vernon Area Public Library (file photo)
Updated 1/15/2021 2:49 PM
Vernon Area Public Library has been recognized as one of the nation s Star Libraries for 2020, as announced in the most recent edition of Library Journal. The magazine s 13th annual Index of Public Library Service evaluates the per capita measurements of 5,608 libraries nationwide and awards star status to 262. This top 5 percent represents the public libraries with the highest level of community engagement around the country.
The 2020 index was based on the most recently reported data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services for fiscal year 2018, which ended in June 2019. The index rates libraries by volume of public use as measured by per capita circulation of both physical and electronic materials, library
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Five central Ohio library systems among those recognized nationally
A total of 31 of Ohio s 251 library systems received a star rating in the Index of Public Library Service, which measures circulation, visits and more.
Ohioans love their libraries, at least according to one recently published national analysis of circulation and visits.
A total of 31 of Ohio s 251 library systems including five from central Ohio received a star rating in the Index of Public Library Service, the 13th annual such report released by the Library Journal, an American trade publication for librarians founded in 1876.
Of the 5,608 U.S. libraries qualified to be rated on the index, just 262 received a star rating. Ohio s 31 star-rated library systems ranks second to New York, which tallied 34. Iowa had the third-most star-rated libraries with 18.