cotuit library

What cotuit library does

Cotuit Library Association is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit public library founded in 1874 as the Cotuit Lyceum Society and located at 871 Main Street in Cotuit, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. The library serves a village of approximately 4,800 residents but reports 38,000+ annual visitors, 70,000+ items circulated per year, and 450+ programs with 5,100+ attendees, indicating unusually deep community engagement for its size. It is governed by a 12-member Board of Trustees and operated by a small staff of 9-10 people led by Executive Director Autumn Hassett.

The library's core services span physical and digital collections (via the CLAMS consortium catalog and interlibrary loan), digital lending through Libby by OverDrive and Kanopy streaming, children's storytime and early literacy programs, technology help appointments (powered by Springshare/LibCal), museum passes, meeting room reservations, book clubs, and virtual author talks through libraryc.org. The historic building combines an 1830 schoolhouse entrance with Guy Lowell-designed 1901 expansion architecture (Lowell also designed the Boston Museum of Fine Arts), a 1963 reading room by Richard Gallagher, and a 1977 Kirkman Extension.

The business model is a non-profit hybrid: approximately 50% of the operating budget comes from a single municipal appropriation (Town of Barnstable), with the remainder raised through the Friends of Cotuit Library (individual $30 / family $40 annual memberships, a Friends Book Nook used-book sale, and an annual $10,000 operational contribution), a tiered Giving Society donor recognition program ($500-$25,000+ levels), a retail Library Store selling branded merchandise, special-event fundraisers, grants, and planned giving vehicles including bequests and charitable remainder trusts. Free public access to library services is the core proposition; revenue is generated entirely through philanthropic, governmental, and ancillary sales channels rather than user fees.

Name

cotuit library

Legal name

Cotuit Library Association

Website

https://cotuitlibrary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1874

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cotuit Library is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit public library founded in 1874 in Cotuit, Massachusetts, serving Cape Cod residents with physical and digital collections, literacy programs, and community events funded by municipal appropriations, donations, and a volunteer Friends organization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cotuit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Municipal Funding: Approximately 50% of annual budget from Town of Barnstable funding
2. Donations and Fundraising: Annual fund drives, tribute contributions, memorial gifts, and general donations from supporters
3. Friends Membership Fees: Annual membership dues: $30 individual, $40 family. Members receive free book from book nook. Contributes first $10,000 annually to library operations.
4. Store Sales: Sale of library merchandise including books, notecards, ornaments, puzzles, and notebooks. Proceeds support library operations.
5. Grants: Grant applications to foundations and government programs for specific initiatives and capital improvements
6. Planned Giving: Bequests in wills, charitable remainder trusts, and retirement plan beneficiary designations
7. Special Events and Fundraisers: Knife sharpening, speaker series, plant and bake sales, book sales, and other fundraising events

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cotuit Library is an independent 501(c)(3) public library that provides free access to physical and digital collections, early literacy programs, technology help, museum passes, and community gathering space. It operates circulation through the CLAMS consortium catalog and offers digital lending via Libby/OverDrive and Kanopy streaming, supplemented by community events, book clubs, and a small retail store selling branded merchandise.

Product overview

Cotuit Library is an independent non-profit public library serving Cotuit, MA since 1874. The organization operates as a single-library institution offering physical and digital collections through the CLAMS consortium catalog, digital lending via Libby and Kanopy, and community programs including kids literacy, tech help appointments, museum passes, meeting room reservations, and book clubs. A retail store sells branded merchandise including the 150th Anniversary Ornament, notecards, and cookbooks. The Friends of Cotuit Library serves as the primary fundraising arm, supplementing the library's operating budget alongside the Giving Society donor recognition program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CLAMS Catalog Access The Cape Libraries Automated Materials Sharing consortium catalog system enabling patrons to search, browse, and manage borrowing across member libraries on Cape Cod. Free with a Cotuit Library card.
• Digital Resources Free digital services including e-books, e-audiobooks, e-magazines through Libby, video streaming via Kanopy, and online databases like NoveList Plus. Accessible to library cardholders.
• Kids and Early Literacy Programs Early literacy development programs and resources for children from infancy through grade 2, including storytimes, tutoring, and reading recommendations. Free to community families.
• Tech Appointments One-on-one technology help sessions with library staff for digital literacy support, including assistance with apps like Libby, navigation help, and device tutorials.
• Museum Passes Discounted or free admission passes to local museums and cultural institutions available for loan to library patrons.
• Meeting Room Reservations Reservable meeting spaces for community groups and events, bookable through the library's online LibCal system.
• Book Clubs Community reading groups meeting regularly at the library for discussion of selected titles, offered for multiple age groups and interests.
• Virtual Author Talks Online author presentations and discussions hosted through partnership with libraryc.org. Free virtual programming.
• Library Store Online and in-person store selling library merchandise including the 150th Anniversary Ornament, notecard sets, cookbooks, jigsaw puzzles, notebooks, and greeting cards. Proceeds support library operations.
• Friends of Cotuit Library Membership Annual membership in the Friends of Cotuit Library at $30 individual or $40 family, valid July through June. Members receive a free book from the book nook. Membership dues contribute first $10,000 annually to library operations.
• Friends Book Nook Daily sale of donated used books operated by the Friends of Cotuit Library, offering paperbacks from $2, children's books from $2, and hardcover books at $3.
• Giving Society Donations Annual giving recognition program with tiered donor levels (Ballast $500+, Seafarer $1,000+, Navigator $2,500+, First Mate $5,000+, Skipper $10,000+, Lucy Gibbons Morse $25,000+).
• Funding and Donation Programs Multiple giving options including annual fund, tribute contributions, and planned giving (bequests, charitable remainder trusts, retirement plan beneficiary designations).
• Patio Bricks Commemorative Program Commemorative brick purchasing program allowing supporters to have personalized bricks installed in the library's patio area.

Quantifiable outcome

• 38,000+ annual patrons from village of 4,800 (800%+ penetration)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CLAMS (Cape Libraries Automated Materials Sharing)coreTechnology or IntegrationRegional library consortium providing shared catalog system, inter-library loans, and unified borrower services across Cape Cod libraries. Cotuit Library uses CLAMS as its primary circulation and catalog system.
• Libby by OverDrivecoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital reading platform providing free eBooks, eAudiobooks, and eMagazines. Accessible via browser or smartphone/tablet app using CLAMS library card.
• KanopycoreTechnology or IntegrationVideo streaming service accessible through app or Libby extra. Requires Cotuit Library CLAMS card for access.
• Storyline OnlineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree stories read aloud by Screen Actors Guild members with activities based on books. Referenced as resource for children.
• The Charleston MintminorOthersPartnership for exclusive 150th anniversary brass ornament commemorating the library's founding in 1874.
• Town of BarnstablecoreOthersPrimary municipal funding source providing approximately 50% of library's annual operating budget. Also contributes through Enoch T. Cobb Trust.
• Cotuit Fire DistrictminorOthersLocal fire district contributing to library funding as part of community support.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Chatham Public Library: Outer Cape Cod public library with parallel small-town scale, community-driven programming, museum pass distribution, and CLAMS participation for an overlapping seasonal-resident population.
• Wellfleet Public Library: Lower Cape Cod public library offering comparable children's and adult programming, museum passes, and digital lending via CLAMS for a seasonal-resident-heavy community similar to Cotuit.
• Sandwich Public Library: Mid-Cape public library serving a similar demographic profile with parallel programming (storytimes, museum passes, community meeting rooms) and CLAMS consortium membership.
• Falmouth Public Library: Neighboring Cape Cod public library sharing the CLAMS consortium and offering comparable children's programming, museum passes, and community events for a similar seasonal and year-round demographic.
• Barnstable Public Library: Town of Barnstable's municipal library system and the same primary municipal funder as Cotuit Library. Operates from multiple branches across the seven villages of Barnstable and shares the CLAMS consortium, making it the closest structural and geographic peer.
• Dennis Memorial Library: Cape Cod community library with similar scale, mix of physical and digital lending through CLAMS, and comparable community event programming targeted at seasonal and year-round residents.
• Mashpee Public Library: Small Cape Cod public library serving a comparable population scale, with shared CLAMS participation and similar children, teen, and adult programming offerings.
• Brewster Ladies' Library Association: Independent Cape Cod library association with a similar small-town footprint, community-driven programming model, and CLAMS consortium membership. Mirrors Cotuit's nonprofit association structure and donor-driven funding mix.

Others

• Cape Cod Museum of Natural History: Adjacent Cape Cod cultural/educational nonprofit that receives Cotuit Library museum-pass traffic. Useful as a partnership and ecosystem peer for understanding local cultural-institution funding dynamics rather than direct library competition.

Broad incumbents

• Boston Public Library: Massachusetts' flagship public library system with a broad portfolio of branches, research collections, and programming. Same core mission and state context as Cotuit but operates at dramatically larger scale with municipal, state, and trust funding.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about cotuit library