Seattle, Minneapolis Most Literate Cities, but Cleveland Still Tops in Libraries
Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 01/12/2009
- Washington, DC, moves up the list
- Cleveland maintains top library spot
- Fort Wayne joins library list
Seattle, last year’s runner-up, has caught up with Minneapolis to share the top spot in Central Connecticut State University’s annual ranking of America's most literate cities. And Washington, DC, moved up from the fifth spot to snag third, with St. Paul moving down from third to fourth.
This study is based on six key indicators of literacy: newspaper circulation, number of bookstores, library resources, periodical publishing resources, educational attainment, and Internet resources.
Cleveland leads libraries
And, of course, the list is different, when libraries are ranked. Cleveland held on to the top spot, followed by Fort Wayne (IN), Cincinnati, St. Louis, Seattle, and Toledo. Minneapolis, Washington, DC, and St. Paul, by the way, are ranked 12, 25, and 11 in the library category. Washington’s 2007 library rank was 32, so the nudge forward couldn’t have hurt.
The study used four variables, all keyed to population: number of branch libraries; volumes held in the library; library circulation; number of library professional staff. Previously, another variable had been used, as well: number of school media personnel. The study only encompasses cities with populations greater than 250,000; thus Fort Wayne (population 251,247) joined the list for first time.
