What makes a good library great? Three earn 5-star rating

Despite virtual librarians, teen movie nights and DVD rentals, 90 percent of the people who wander into a Naperville library are just looking for a good book.

"This despite all the talk of the demise of libraries," said Julie Rothenfluh, deputy director of the Naperville Public Library system.

A few local libraries are especially thriving.

The Library Journal released a report this week giving top ratings to libraries in Arlington Heights, Naperville and Schaumburg Township.

The journal's new "Public Library Service" is a rating system that surveyed more than 7,100 libraries across the county. The top libraries in each category - grouped by budgets - get five-, four-, and three-star ratings. Ratings are based on four indicators: library visits, circulation, program attendance and public Internet computer use.

Arlington Heights Memorial Library, Schaumburg Township and Naperville District Libraries were named five-star winners. The Skokie Public Library received four stars and Barrington District and Des Plaines Public and Fountaindale in Bolingbrook each got three-star awards.

Only 1 percent of the libraries in the country got a five-star rating, and only 10 libraries in Illinois got stars at all.

The Arlington Heights library operates on a $12.5 million budget and had about 829,000 visits between May 1, 2007, and April 30, 2008, said Paula Moore, the library's director.

"These days libraries are a 24-7 operation to attract people who might not think of coming into the library," Moore said. "We have librarians online who can answer questions. Even after hours, there are online librarians available."

The Naperville Public Library system has three buildings and a budget of about $15 million. During the past couple of years, Naperville concentrated on attracting teens, Rothenfluh said.

"We've reconfigured some departments and even have teen librarians now," she said.

The Schaumburg Township Library system has a main library and two smaller branches. The key to Schaumburg's success is to have each building cater to a specific population, said Debby Miller, a Schaumburg library trustee.

For example, the Hanover Park branch serves as a community center to many Hispanics; the Hoffman Estates branch specializes in after school programs; and the main building is the hub for all services, Miller said.

It's much easier to get on this list if your funding is relatively secure, as in Ohio, or if you're from a rich community, or if you're the only game in town, according to the Library Journal. But the library's customer service mentality is also critical. For example, a library in Pelican Rapids, Minn., is a tech center for the community. Another in Lewiston, Maine, has no limit on checkouts, no access fee for visitors, and an honor system for time limits on computers.