Elmhurst Public Library Receives Five-Star Status

For the third year in a row, Elmhurst Public Library received a five-star rating in a national ranking of Library Journal’s annual review of public libraries. EPL earned five out of five stars, one of only seven libraries to earn that distinction in Illinois.

A total of 6,333 U.S. public libraries were rated nationwide and only 261 qualified as star libraries. In Illinois, 17 libraries received star ratings, but only seven earned the distinction of receiving a five-star rating: Naperville, Fountaindale, Northbrook, Wilmette, Lanark, Cook Memorial Public Library District, and Elmhurst.

“We are delighted to be a five-star library for the third year in a row,” says Mary Beth Harper, director. “The Elmhurst community’s continued support and enthusiasm for the Library is what enables us to be a leading institution in our field. We are glad to be a trusted local resource and to be nationally recognized for it.”

Library Journal reviews public library data reported to the government—visits, checkouts, program attendance, e-material circulation, public computer use and Wi-Fi sessions per capita—and ranks the best performing libraries within budget categories. Elmhurst Public Library placed in the top ten nationwide in the $5-9.9M category, with notably high visits and checkouts per capita.

For more information about Elmhurst Public Library’s five-star status, see elmlib.org/stars