Wednesday, December 15, 2021 Charleston County Library

CHARLESTON, S.C. – For the second consecutive year, Charleston County Public Library (CCPL) has been ranked among the top libraries in the US in Library Journal’s Index of Public Library Service (Index). CCPL received a four-star rating in its peer group, improving upon the three-star rating it received in 2020. CCPL is one of only two library systems in South Carolina with a starred rating.  

Published annually, the Index compares U.S. libraries with their peers based on per capita output measures. Ratings of five, four, and three stars are awarded to libraries that generate the highest combined per capita outputs among their spending peers.  

Within its peer group – which includes some of the larger library systems in the US - CCPL earned a total score of 1,021, among the highest ratings of libraries in the Southeast in all categories. The 2021 Index was derived from data released by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for FY19. A total of 5,608 U.S. public libraries were scored in groupings based on total operating expenditures, with only 262 of those receiving a three, four, or five-star rating.   

“We are constantly exploring new and innovative ways to equitably serve our patrons and the surrounding community,” said CCPL Executive Director Angela Craig. “We are honored to once again be recognized nationally by the Library Journal for our performance and impact and look forward to continuing to grow and evolve as a library system.”

Library Journal is the oldest and most respected publication covering the field of library service, with more than 100,000 readers. The LJ Index rating system was first introduced in 2008 to recognize and promote America’s public libraries, to help improve the pool of nationally collected library statistics and to encourage library self-evaluation. For more information about the Index, visit libraryjournal.com. For more information about CCPL, visit ccpl.org.