The Kansas City Public Library remains among a select group of public libraries across the country earning a 5-star designation from Library Journal.

It’s the fourth consecutive year that the Library has attained that top-tier standing. The Journal’s ratings measure a range of services and public usage in assessing the contributions that libraries make to their communities.

Only 85 public libraries nationwide – less than than 1 percent of the total of 9,245 – received 5-star ratings. No other Missouri library was accorded that status.

The New York-based Library Journal bases its ratings on per-capita library use in six areas – circulation, digital circulation, library visits, public computer and internet usage, wireless internet usage, and program attendance – as reported to state library agencies and compiled nationally by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This year’s index uses that data from the 2017 fiscal year.

The Journal classifies libraries according to their yearly expenditures, and awards three, four, or five stars to the top libraries in each category. The Kansas City Public Library is among 112 libraries with budgets between $10 million and $30 million, the second-highest spending group. In that category, it was one of 10 earning five stars.