Lessons Learned About Library Organization Structures from the LSTA Evaluations

What can we learn by looking at public library organizations across an entire region?

QualityMetrics completed the COSLINE Cooperative LSTA Evaluations for FY2013–2017 and FY2018–2022. Through these two evaluation cycles, we gained valuable insight into how public library organizations across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions share many common strengths while also reflecting distinct organizational patterns unique to each state.

With each evaluation cycle, our regional analysis evolved, deepening our understanding of state-specific environments within the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. During the FY2013–2017 LSTA Evaluation, the regional analysis culminated in a final presentation highlighting the strengths of each state’s LSTA program. Five years later, we expanded the regional analysis to examine the broader environment across the COSLINE states, motivated by the COVID-19 experience and the availability of additional data.

The cooperative work and lessons learned from one another can be viewed through two important lenses: strengths-based LSTA programs and regional analyses based on population and library characteristics.

A Look at the Regional Differences

The Northeast region is predominantly characterized by small, independent library systems consisting of a single facility. As communities become more urbanized and coastal, library systems tend to shift toward larger, consolidated organizations with branch networks. The number and organizational structure of library systems differ significantly among the participating states.

Count of Public Library Systems for select COSLINE States

Based on IMLS FY2024 Public Library Survey data on the number of library administrative entities:

Massachusetts: 367
Maine: 257
New Hampshire: 222
Connecticut: 190
Rhode Island: 48
Maryland: 26
Delaware: 21

Sub-Regional Geographic System Structures

New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI): Characterized primarily by highly decentralized, municipal-level independent library systems, where nearly every town manages its own local library.

Mid-Atlantic (MD, DE): Characterized by highly centralized county-level or regional library networks. For example, Maryland’s 26 library systems align closely with its 23 counties plus Baltimore City, managing more than 180 local branch outlets through a unified regional structure.

For more information on the statewide structure of libraries and lessons learned, see: