About Southern Maryland Regional Library Association, Inc.
Who We Are
Southern Maryland Regional Library Association, Inc. (SMRLA) is a regional resource center for the public libraries in Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties. It was formed in 1959 to provide additional services to the citizens of rural Maryland through their local county libraries. It is part of a statewide resource network of three regional centers, working in collaboration with the State Library Resource Center, to provide efficient, economical and coordinated library services county libraries cannot adequately provide themselves.
The regional library is governed by a board of trustees composed of a library trustee from each county library system and up to one member of the public from each county served by the library systems. Board members serve five-year terms and may not serve more than two consecutive terms. To find out more about our board and when they meet, please visit our Governance page.
Although the primary source of support is state funds administered by the Maryland State Library Agency, the regional library also receives special federal grants.
As part of the State Library Network, the regional library is charged with the following responsibilities under §23-202:
- Making interlibrary loans of books and materials
- Supplying collections and exhibits of specialized materials
- Providing consultant services
- Organizing in-service training for library staffs
- Developing and operating cooperative services among libraries
Strategic Plan
The SMRLA board of trustees has adopted a five-year strategic plan to help the organization sustain forward momentum, anticipate challenges and seize opportunities. The plan covers fiscal years 2026 through 2030. To develop the plan, SMRLA considered stakeholder research, best professional practices and the insights of its board of trustees members.
Our Vision:
Advancing Library Excellence
Our Mission:
The citizens of Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties will have equal access to information through the efficient, economic and effective sharing of resources among public libraries and all types of information agencies.
Our Goals:
Through our strategic plan goals, SMRLA partner libraries will see the following benefits:
- Increased efficiency
- Increased collaboration across the libraries
- Growth in staff knowledge and skills, aligned to their library and individual needs
- Increased ability to serve the public through:
- Stronger community partnerships and resources
- Resources to meet diverse interests
- Greater consistency, efficiency and accessibility of technology services, including hardware and communication platforms
- Increased public awareness of the value of library programs and services
- Broader community engagement
Our Partners
Local:
Regional:
State: