Connecticut study rates library system top among 69 major cities
By Bill Beene
Of the St. Louis
A St. Louis public institution is number one, literally. Well, literately.
The St. Louis Public Library was recently named the number one system in the country, helping the St. Louis region score an impressive 15th in the overall rankings of America’s Most Literate Cities.
The library ranked 3rd last year. Nearby Kansas City, Mo. now holds the number three spot, making the neighboring cities “bookends” of the top three slots.
The study of “America’s Most Literate Cities” was conducted by Dr. John W. Miller, president of the University of Connecticut, with research conducted in collaboration with the Center of Public Policy and Social Research at Central Connecticut State University.
Ranked are the 69 largest U.S. cities (population 250,000 and above) with a focus on library resources, newspaper circulation, number of bookstores, periodical publishing resources, educational attainment and the internet, added this year to gauge the expansion of literacy to online media.
Though the city ranks high in literacy, St. Louis Public Library GED Coordinator Joanne Bridges pointed out that 35 percent of adults in St. Louis cannot read (according to Literacy Volunteers of America), and 28 percent of adults have not graduated from high school, according to the 2000 census.
The St. Louis Public Library responds to such statistics with extensive programs and services, which are key criteria in scoring well in the study.
In addition to traditional lending services, the St. Louis Public Library offers two GED programs, outreach and after-school programs with St. Louis Public Schools, in addition to workplace training, internet and wireless access, and computer classes.
“Wherever we see a need, we try to meet that need for our customers,” said Judy Bruce, director of branch services for SLPL.
As part of its mission to “provide learning resources and information services that support and improve individual, family and community life” for all citizens,the library has put a multicultural initiative in place.
The library’s GED program is currently seeking a bilingual (Spanish/English) instructor,and an Asian-American initiative is in the works. Extensive schedules for the Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month celebrations are already complete and will be detailed in future issues of the American.
“We offer so many service, activities and programs that the St. Louis population can take advantage of,” Bridges said.
And area residents do take advantage of them, according to Bruce.
“The services and programming that we offer draw attention and get us so much usage from the community, but the only reason we get the award is because the community uses the locations,” Bruce said.
“So the award really goes to the community and the city of St. Louis.”
Criteria for rating libraries include services, collections, locations and quality of staff.
Fourteen of 16 SLPL branch locations have undergone renovation in recent years, with the final two nearing completion. Several staff members hold Master’s of Library Science degrees, and customer service rates high on staff members’ lists of priorities.
“That speaks a lot to the public and brings them in when they meet a smiley face and someone that’s willing and ready to help them,” Bridges said.
The library staff has been good stewards of the tax dollars that constituents entrust them with, Bruce said.
“Over a period of years, we have said, ‘We will do this if you entrust us with the funds,’ and the St. Louis Public Library has kept that commitment,” Bruce said, adding that the library also takes advantage of grants to build on public resources.
“We could do a “You Paid For It,” from the inside out,” Bruce said. “We can say, ‘This is what you paid for, and this is what you got,’ on a very positive note.”
