With millions of dollars being spent for higher education library services each year, the cost and value of libraries are being scrutinized even with evidence that libraries aid student success. Community college libraries offer more open hours than most other campus services and provide research help, textbook access and many other services to students but are often overlooked as contributors to student success. This study sought to determine whether Association of College & Research Library award-winning libraries contributed to the success of the Aspen Prize winning community colleges they serve and if so, how did they contribute. The multiple case study research was guided by three questions: What are the characteristics of excellent community college libraries? What are the commonalities between the award-winning libraries which influenced their colleges' recognition? How did the libraries at these community colleges contribute toward the college's success? The ACRL Standards for Libraries in Higher Education which guide academic libraries in their role as partners in the institutional were used as the framework for this research. The research findings demonstrate that excellent community college libraries have engaged faculty librarians who participate in college-wide governance; are committed to the communities they serve and are a key component to institutional success as partners in the educational journey of the students they serve. While the Aspen Institute does not include libraries when evaluating community colleges for the Prize, the libraries in this study helped the institutions meet all of the critical outcomes which Aspen considers during assessment for the prize. Recommendations for community college libraries include mandatory, regular assessment using the ACRL Standards as a guide and participation in the application process for the ACRL excellence award. Library user evaluations are also recommended as a way to better understand the user experience. Both practices will help libraries highlight achievements and discover deficits which will drive innovation and change. The researcher believes more research should be conducted into library perception and value of other institutional stakeholders, specifically community college administrators and Board of Trustee members. Research into the value of faculty status for community college librarians is also recommended. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]