OLD TOWN – For the second year in a row, Old Town Public Library has been ranked No. 1 in the state for children’s program attendance.

The Maine State Library in Augusta collects statistics from public libraries across the state each year. The most current data is from 2004.

“It’s based on statistics from our annual reports,” Old Town librarian Valerie Osborn said Monday. “We keep track of the number of individuals in our programs.”

The library has several programs for both children and high school students.

This is the first time in several years that Old Town hasn’t been in the top 10 for total circulation, which Osborn said can be attributed to the larger facility that is part of the new Old Town Elementary School.

“The collection is much larger than they ever had before because they combined the schools,” Osborn said, noting it’s something she expected. “They’re doing everything just right and that has impacted our circulation.”

Despite the decrease in total circulation, attendance at children’s programs and activities for high school students has remained high.

“I’m sure that the children’s programming is high because [children’s librarian] Cindy Seger is so good with kids,” Osborn said.

Old Town ranks first in the state with 15,666 in attendance. Biddeford is second at 10,856.

Seger runs Camp Library and Camp Adventure programs throughout the summer, which had a combined attendance of about 125 when they ran this summer.

“She also has a group called the Brown Bag Readers,” Osborn said, noting there are between 30 and 35 children who attend each time. There also are very large groups that frequent Seger’s twice weekly Toddler Time and Story Hour.

In addition, the children’s librarian does 13 classroom visits a week for kindergarten through second grade pupils and the Headstart program, and she does some library tours for the Orono-Old Town YMCA as well.

“She has such a good, strong working relationship with the parents and kids, that’s why they keep coming back over and over,” Osborn said.

2004 statewide children?s attendance at libraries

1. Old Town Public Library ? 15,666

2. McArthur Public Library, Biddeford ? 10,856

3. Portland Public Library ? 10,750

4. Lewiston Public Library ? 10,047

5. Scarborough Public Library ? 9,857

6. Niles Memorial Library, Jay ? 8,755

7. Dyer Library, Saco ? 7,275

8. Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick ? 6,755

9. Belfast Free Library ? 6,000

10. Ellsworth Public Library ? 5,586

Old Town ranked fifth in the state for children?s program attendance per capita, with Castine coming in first followed by Southwest Harbor, Jay, and Lovell.

For total circulation, Portland Public Library came in on top, followed by Bangor, Brunswick, Freeport, and Lewiston.