When I need a library, I do some search, trying to collect 2-3 candidates. After that, here is my list.
- fitness for my actual purpose. It's even a wee bit more important than the following points
- commit and release frequency. If a project doesn't get some love often, it becomes obsolete real fast
- commit author diversity. If there are only a few authors, bus factor can chime in
Stars represent attention, but most people simply star projects they use; it doesn't necessarily mean that everyone who starred will contribute by any means.