Pikes Peak Library District has earned a spot in the top 10 rankings among libraries its size in the latest edition of Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings. The 2008 HAPLR ratings rank Pikes Peak Library District ninth out of 79 library systems in its size category.The district is ranked in the highest population category possible – 500,000 and larger.HAPLR is a national ratings system that uses data compiled by the Federal State Cooperative System to rank public libraries throughout the United States.”It is an honor and a true achievement to attain top 10 status in 2008,” said PPLD Executive Director Paula Miller. “It reflects a high level of excellence in everything we do.”The HAPLR Index is similar to an ACT or SAT score with a theoretical minimum of 1 and a maximum of 1,000, although most libraries score between 260 and 730. PPLD’s score is 747.Libraries are rated, scored, and ranked on 15 different criteria from the previous year, each weighted according to Hennen’s formula. The district first appeared in HAPLR’s top 10 in 2003, ranking eighth out of 95 libraries nationally. In 2006, the district was bumped into the highest population category possible where it ranked ninth.In 2008, Pikes Peak Library District added Lobby Stop services for patrons in assisted living centers, began plans for a library branch in the Falcon/Peyton area and started renovations on the Sand Creek branch. The district now has two main libraries, 10 branches, mobile library service as well as award-winning online resources and telephone reference. It serves nearly all of El Paso County, a population of roughly 508,000 people. More than 255,000 people in that service region are active library cardholders.The top 10 in PPLD’s category (serving populations 500,000 and larger):1. Columbus Metropolitan Library (Ohio)2. Cuyahoga County Public Library (Ohio)3. Multnomah County Library (Ore.)4. Hennepin County Library (Minn.)5. Salt Lake County Library System (Utah)6. Baltimore County Public Library (Md.)7. Denver Public Library (Colo.)8. King County Library System (Wash.)9. Pikes Peak Library District (Colo.) 10. Cincinnati and Hamilton County (Ohio)For additional information about HAPLR, visit www.haplr-index.com
