▁in ▁coord ination ▁with ▁state ▁and ▁local ▁organizations ▁to ▁sust ain ▁her itage , ▁culture , ▁and ▁knowledge ; ▁enh ance ▁learning ▁and ▁innov ation ; ▁and ▁support ▁professional ▁development ”. ▁ ▁Through ▁this ▁ag ency , ▁“ li braries ▁and ▁museum s ▁have ▁conver ged ▁as ▁cultural ▁her itage ▁institutions ▁with ▁a ▁renew ed ▁commit ment ▁to ▁collabor ative ▁eng agement ▁within ▁local ▁and ▁world ▁communities ”. ▁ ▁Chief ▁Offic ers ▁of ▁State ▁Library ▁Associ ations ▁ ▁The ▁Chief ▁Offic ers ▁of ▁State ▁Library ▁Associ ations ▁( CO S LA ) ▁is ▁an ▁independent ▁organization ▁( that ▁eng ages ▁in ▁some ▁forms ▁of ▁advoc acy ▁for ▁public ▁libraries ) ▁of ▁the ▁chief ▁officers ▁of ▁state ▁and ▁territorial ▁ag encies ▁and ▁is ▁“ design ated ▁as ▁the ▁state ▁library ▁administrative ▁ag ency ▁and ▁is ▁responsible ▁for ▁state wide ▁library ▁development . ▁ ▁Its ▁purpose ▁is ▁to ▁identify ▁and ▁address ▁issues ▁of ▁common ▁concern ▁and ▁national ▁interest ; ▁to ▁further ▁state ▁library ▁ag ency ▁relationships ▁with ▁federal ▁government ▁and ▁national ▁organizations ; ▁and ▁to ▁initi ate ▁co oper ative ▁action ▁for ▁the ▁improvement ▁of ▁library ▁services ▁to ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ”. ▁ ▁State ▁associations ▁Each ▁state ▁has ▁a ▁state ▁library ▁ag ency ▁which ▁dist ributes ▁federal ▁library ▁funds ▁received ▁from ▁the ▁I ML S . ▁▁ ▁“ There ▁are ▁fifty - se ven ▁state ▁and ▁regional ▁library ▁association ▁chap ters ▁affili ated ▁with ▁the ▁American ▁Library ▁Association , ▁each ▁including ▁at ▁least ▁a ▁committee ▁or ▁section ▁that ▁addresses ▁public ▁library ▁issues