La Veta Library is ranked 20th in the entire nation

by Sandy Hackbarth
LA VETA- Join us – the trustees and staff of the La Veta Public Library – as we celebrate you, the people who have made ours one of the top public libraries in the nation. The Library is hosting an open house on Friday, January 27, from 5 to 8 pm at the 1899 Inn in La Veta to say ‘Thanks’ for believing in, supporting, and, most importantly, using the La Veta Library.
Once again “Library Journal” has awarded Five Stars to the La Veta Library. Even more exciting, for the first time since it began rating American public libraries, the actual ranking of all libraries was published. Out of the 7,513 public libraries in the U.S., La Veta Library was ranked number 20.
In 2007 “Library Journal,” the national professional journal for librarians, developed a system for rating American public libraries. Since that time LJ has published an annual overview of public libraries – awarding three, four and five star status to the top 260 or so libraries each year.
La Veta Public Library has garnered a Five Star rating annually since the inception of this award. It is an honor in which we take great pride – and for which we feel much gratitude to our Huerfano County users.
The rankings are based on four of the annual statistics that libraries report to their State Departments of Education: circulation, the number of items checked out to library users; the number of people, both children and adults, who attend programs that the library offers; the number of people who use the library’s computers; and the number of people who visit the library each year. Each of these statistics is converted to a per capita number by dividing it by the population of the library’s service area, which facilitates comparisons between libraries of all sizes and budgets. Researchers believe that these are the key statistics which best summarize the general health of a public library.
What makes a great library? A significant factor is its community – the people who understand and value what libraries do.
What do libraries do? Libraries change lives by being passionate advocates for literacy and lifelong learning. Libraries build community by providing public spaces and encouraging our citizens to become engaged. Libraries provide powerful resources for education, entertainment, and information. Libraries make good use of taxpayers’ money by sharing resources and collaborating. Our two Huerfano County libraries – Spanish Peaks and La Veta – are a particularly good example of this.
Contact the La Veta Library at 742-3572 or lavetapubliclibrary@gmail.com for more information. And once again – Thanks!