Awards and Honors
National Rankings
Washington-Centerville Public Library is currently ranked #1 in the nation among libraries of similar size in the HAPLR Index, a kind of "Fortune 500" for public libraries. The HAPLR Index ranks 9,000 libraries nationwide based on usage, support, and efficiency.
This ranking reflects the excellent service and collection the Library provides local residents. Since the 1998 inception of the rating system, the Library has consistently scored high, proving that consistent excellence is a Washington-Centerville Public Library hallmark.
Past HAPLR Rankings:
2010 - #1, 2009 - #1, 2008 - #1, 2006 - #2, 2004 - #1, 2003 - #1, 2002 - #1, 2000 - #1, 1999 - #1, 1998 - #2
No HAPLR rating was conducted in 2001, 2005, or 2007, due to delays in data reporting by Federal agencies.
Washington-Centerville Public Library is also recognized as a 5 Star Library in "America's Star Libraries, the LJ Index of Public Library Service". The LJ Index, which compares more than 7200 public libraries nationwide examines what libraries deliver to their users with the money they have. It looks not only at circulation and visits, two typically standard measurements, but on program attendance and public Internet computer use, two statistics that more clearly define libraries' increasingly crucial role in their communities.
State Rankings
Your Library also consistently ranks high among Ohio's 251 public libraries in circulation, collection size, efficiency, and other statistical library measures compiled by the State Library of Ohio. Some of the most current rankings are listed below.
Hermes Award for Excellence in Advertising
In 2007, the Greater Dayton Advertising Association awarded the Library its first Hermes Award.
The Gold level ADDY (also known as the "Hermes") for Mixed Media Campaigns was presented in acknowledgement of outstanding advertising efforts associated with the Library's corporate identity (or branding) system.
This elite award is reserved for the highest achievements in advertising, and is given to the entry that "exemplifies unmatched creative excellence."
George C. Cooper Diversity Award
In 2005, Washington-Centerville Public Library became the first ever recipient of the George C. Cooper Diversity Award, presented by the Centerville-Washington Diversity Council.
Named after lifelong diversity activist and Diversity Council founding member George C. Cooper, this award honors individuals and/or organizations that embody diversity and promote it within the community. The Library furthers understanding and appreciation of all cultures, races, and religions through its collections, programming, and practices.
This ranking reflects the excellent service and collection the Library provides local residents. Since the 1998 inception of the rating system, the Library has consistently scored high, proving that consistent excellence is a Washington-Centerville Public Library hallmark.
Past HAPLR Rankings:
2010 - #1, 2009 - #1, 2008 - #1, 2006 - #2, 2004 - #1, 2003 - #1, 2002 - #1, 2000 - #1, 1999 - #1, 1998 - #2
No HAPLR rating was conducted in 2001, 2005, or 2007, due to delays in data reporting by Federal agencies.
State Rankings
Your Library also consistently ranks high among Ohio's 251 public libraries in circulation, collection size, efficiency, and other statistical library measures compiled by the State Library of Ohio. Some of the most current rankings are listed below.
| Circulation - 10th | Volumes - 22nd | Registered Borrowers - 24th |
| LLF (State Funding) - 33rd | Full Time Equiv. Staff - 18th | Total Revenue - 15th |
| Materials Expenditures - 23rd | Staff Expenditures - 16th | Tot. Operating Expenditures - 19th |
Hermes Award for Excellence in Advertising
In 2007, the Greater Dayton Advertising Association awarded the Library its first Hermes Award.
This elite award is reserved for the highest achievements in advertising, and is given to the entry that "exemplifies unmatched creative excellence."
George C. Cooper Diversity Award
Named after lifelong diversity activist and Diversity Council founding member George C. Cooper, this award honors individuals and/or organizations that embody diversity and promote it within the community. The Library furthers understanding and appreciation of all cultures, races, and religions through its collections, programming, and practices.