In 2009, Library Journal began publishing its annual Star Libraries report. American public libraries were ranked with three, four, or five stars, based on a variety of major service measures – physical material circulation, electronic circulation, number of visits, program attendance, public computer users, wifi sessions, e-resource information retrievals, and website visits – measured per capita. Libraries were also ranked by their annual operating budgets.
The Barrington Area Library received three star rankings in 2010, 2017, and 2018, and four star rankings in 2019, 2021, and 2022. Notably, the Library's three star rating in 2017 was based on data from 2014-2015, reflecting the popularity of the major renovation project which was completed in 2014. Also, in 2022, BALibrary ranked highest among four star libraries in its budget category. Library Journal has not published the America's Star Libraries report since 2022.