Salt Lake Public Library Catalog

The Salt Lake City Public Library has retained its 5-Star Public Library status for the fourth straight year in 2014, as ranked by Library Journal’s Index of Public Library Service. The 5-Star rating is the highest available, placing the Salt Lake City Public Library among the best-used libraries in the nation.

“The City Library is honored to be recognized as a Five-Star Library once again, ” said Salt Lake City Public Library Executive Director John Spears. “Salt Lake City residents have a strong history of recognizing the value of their public library and utilizing our collections, spaces, and resources with enthusiasm. The entire staff takes pride in the service we provide our neighbors and visitors, and I hope the rest of Salt Lake City joins us in celebrating this accomplishment.”

Individual library ratings are based on four per capita measures: circulation, visits, program attendance, and public Internet computer use. The Index rated 7, 586 libraries nationwide, which are then broken into peer-group categories based on total annual operating expenditures. The Salt Lake City Public Library joins an elite group of 10 libraries its size that were given the 5-Star rating this year out of 113 qualifying libraries across the nation.

“The four areas measured in this survey hit at the traditional foundations of what libraries offer their communities but only begin to tell the story of the modern public library, ” Spears said. “The true value of a public library isn’t quantified by numbers—it is told through the impact the library has in the lives of the community it serves. In an ever-changing world, The City Library continues to find new ways to engage our patrons’ creativity, inspire their curiosity, and enhance the quality of life in Salt Lake City.”