The results are in, and the Pueblo City-County Library reigns supreme. Receiving the most votes in ELGL's bracket-style best library tournament, Pueblo is the last library standing.

Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL) holds an annual "Leslie B. Knope Award" tournament to honor outstanding government leaders and institutions, and this year's contest focused on finding America's best public library. And the winner of the weeks-long bracket-style tournament? None other than the Pueblo City-County Library! The tournament started out with 116 library nominations from across the country. In the final round, Pueblo beat out the Williamsburg Public Library in Virginia. Pueblo is well-deserving of the America's Best Public Library title. Featuring hundreds of programs and resources, the library goes above and beyond what typical libraries offer, improving the lives of the community's citizens in multiple ways. In a compilation of patrons' praises, the library is called "forward-thinking," "an engaging and creative space," "a great family environment," "a solid resource," and "a gem," among many others. Also ...
  • "Pueblo City-County Public Library meets the needs of every person in Pueblo."
  • "Pueblo’s library is so much more than 'just books.'"
  • "... Truly the source of cultural development for southern Colorado."
Congratulations to the Pueblo City-County Library!!! You are a shining example of what every government organization should strive to be! Thank you for all you do! [caption id="attachment_34380" align="aligncenter" width="720"]best public library Courtesy of Pueblo City-County Library[/caption]
The Leslie B. Knope Award is named after the lovable, city-government-passionate Leslie Knope character on the hit NBC sit-com “Parks and Rec,” played by Amy Poehler. Last year, the award honored the best city hall in America, with Peoria, Illinois coming out on top. What do you think? Have you had the privilege of visiting the Pueblo City-County Library? What did you think? How can other Colorado libraries improve their services? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Libraries aren't all we're good at in Colorado! Check out how Rocky Mountain National Park ranked ...

Chris Wiegand
I write awesome things, apparently!
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