Still, he said other libraries could easily have won the honor. Last year, Westerville residents checked out 1,286,691 items, according to the library's annual report. That is compared to the library's holdings of 296,406 items. An estimated 27,000 people attended library programs last year. Westerville uses technology to keep its staff costs low, Barlow said.
Many patrons check out books themselves with self-checkout stations.
Westerville was the first library in Ohio to install those stations. Many of the library's best features do not show up on the rankings, Barlow said. Customer service, which Barlow said was his first priority, cannot be measured, unless it translates into increased usage. The library's new addition, which was completed in March, does not affect ratings, and neither does the drive-up window that opened this week. The rankings also will not reflect the coffee kiosk that will open in November, Barlow said.