diff --git a/server/utils/queries/libraryBrowseCount.js b/server/utils/queries/libraryBrowseCount.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8cabe88be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/utils/queries/libraryBrowseCount.js
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+async function loadBrowseCount({ mode, exactCountLoader } = {}) {
+  if (mode === 'skip') {
+    return {
+      total: null,
+      isExact: false,
+      isDeferred: true
+    }
+  }
+
+  const total = await exactCountLoader()
+
+  return {
+    total,
+    isExact: true,
+    isDeferred: mode === 'deferred-exact'
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  loadBrowseCount
+}
diff --git a/server/utils/queries/libraryBrowseStrategy.js b/server/utils/queries/libraryBrowseStrategy.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a43d73272
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/utils/queries/libraryBrowseStrategy.js
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+function getCursorKeys(sortBy) {
+  if (sortBy === 'media.metadata.authorName') {
+    return ['authorNamesFirstLast', 'titleIgnorePrefix', 'id']
+  }
+
+  if (sortBy === 'media.metadata.authorNameLF') {
+    return ['authorNamesLastFirst', 'titleIgnorePrefix', 'id']
+  }
+
+  if (sortBy === 'progress') {
+    return ['mediaProgress.updatedAt', 'id']
+  }
+
+  if (sortBy === 'updatedAt') {
+    return ['updatedAt', 'id']
+  }
+
+  if (sortBy === 'addedAt') {
+    return ['createdAt', 'id']
+  }
+
+  return ['titleIgnorePrefix', 'id']
+}
+
+function getFamily({ mediaType, sortBy, filterGroup, collapseseries }) {
+  if (sortBy === 'random') return 'random-browse'
+  if (mediaType === 'podcast') return 'podcast-browse'
+  if (collapseseries && filterGroup === 'series') return 'collapsed-series-browse'
+  if (filterGroup === 'series') return 'series-browse'
+  if (filterGroup === 'progress') return 'progress-browse'
+  if (filterGroup === 'recent' || sortBy === 'addedAt') return 'recent-browse'
+  if (sortBy === 'media.metadata.authorName' || sortBy === 'media.metadata.authorNameLF') return 'author-browse'
+  if (filterGroup) return 'filtered-browse'
+  return 'plain-browse'
+}
+
+function getLibraryBrowseStrategy({ mediaType, sortBy, filterGroup, pageMode, collapseseries } = {}) {
+  const normalizedSort = sortBy || 'media.metadata.title'
+
+  if (normalizedSort === 'random') {
+    return {
+      family: 'random-browse',
+      paginationMode: 'offset',
+      countMode: 'exact-on-initial-page',
+      deepScrollAllowed: false,
+      tieBreaker: 'id',
+      cursorKeys: []
+    }
+  }
+
+  return {
+    family: getFamily({ mediaType, sortBy: normalizedSort, filterGroup, collapseseries }),
+    paginationMode: pageMode === 'endless' ? 'keyset' : 'offset',
+    countMode: 'deferred-exact',
+    deepScrollAllowed: true,
+    tieBreaker: 'id',
+    cursorKeys: getCursorKeys(normalizedSort)
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  getLibraryBrowseStrategy
+}
diff --git a/test/server/utils/libraryBrowseCount.test.js b/test/server/utils/libraryBrowseCount.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d15aafd81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/server/utils/libraryBrowseCount.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+const chai = require('chai')
+const expect = chai.expect
+
+const { loadBrowseCount } = require('../../../server/utils/queries/libraryBrowseCount')
+
+describe('libraryBrowseCount', () => {
+  it('returns deferred exact count metadata on first chunk', async () => {
+    const payload = await loadBrowseCount({
+      mode: 'deferred-exact',
+      exactCountLoader: async () => 123
+    })
+
+    expect(payload).to.deep.equal({ total: 123, isExact: true, isDeferred: true })
+  })
+
+  it('skips exact count work on follow-up endless-scroll chunks', async () => {
+    let called = false
+    const payload = await loadBrowseCount({
+      mode: 'skip',
+      exactCountLoader: async () => {
+        called = true
+        return 123
+      }
+    })
+
+    expect(payload).to.deep.equal({ total: null, isExact: false, isDeferred: true })
+    expect(called).to.equal(false)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/test/server/utils/libraryBrowseStrategy.test.js b/test/server/utils/libraryBrowseStrategy.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3f1ed4d6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/server/utils/libraryBrowseStrategy.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+const chai = require('chai')
+const expect = chai.expect
+
+const { getLibraryBrowseStrategy } = require('../../../server/utils/queries/libraryBrowseStrategy')
+
+describe('libraryBrowseStrategy', () => {
+  it('uses keyset pagination for title browse', () => {
+    const strategy = getLibraryBrowseStrategy({
+      mediaType: 'book',
+      sortBy: 'media.metadata.title',
+      filterGroup: null,
+      pageMode: 'endless'
+    })
+
+    expect(strategy.paginationMode).to.equal('keyset')
+    expect(strategy.countMode).to.equal('deferred-exact')
+    expect(strategy.deepScrollAllowed).to.equal(true)
+    expect(strategy.tieBreaker).to.equal('id')
+    expect(strategy.cursorKeys).to.deep.equal(['titleIgnorePrefix', 'id'])
+  })
+
+  it('falls back to offset for random sort', () => {
+    const strategy = getLibraryBrowseStrategy({
+      mediaType: 'book',
+      sortBy: 'random',
+      filterGroup: null,
+      pageMode: 'endless'
+    })
+
+    expect(strategy.paginationMode).to.equal('offset')
+    expect(strategy.deepScrollAllowed).to.equal(false)
+  })
+
+  it('uses keyset pagination for recently added browse', () => {
+    const strategy = getLibraryBrowseStrategy({
+      mediaType: 'book',
+      sortBy: 'addedAt',
+      filterGroup: 'recent',
+      pageMode: 'endless'
+    })
+
+    expect(strategy.family).to.equal('recent-browse')
+    expect(strategy.paginationMode).to.equal('keyset')
+  })
+
+  it('uses keyset pagination for progress browse', () => {
+    const strategy = getLibraryBrowseStrategy({
+      mediaType: 'book',
+      sortBy: 'progress',
+      filterGroup: 'progress',
+      pageMode: 'endless'
+    })
+
+    expect(strategy.family).to.equal('progress-browse')
+    expect(strategy.paginationMode).to.equal('keyset')
+  })
+
+  it('uses keyset pagination for updated browse', () => {
+    const strategy = getLibraryBrowseStrategy({
+      mediaType: 'book',
+      sortBy: 'updatedAt',
+      filterGroup: null,
+      pageMode: 'endless'
+    })
+
+    expect(strategy.family).to.equal('plain-browse')
+    expect(strategy.paginationMode).to.equal('keyset')
+    expect(strategy.cursorKeys).to.deep.equal(['updatedAt', 'id'])
+  })
+
+  it('uses keyset pagination for deterministic author browse', () => {
+    const strategy = getLibraryBrowseStrategy({
+      mediaType: 'book',
+      sortBy: 'media.metadata.authorName',
+      filterGroup: null,
+      pageMode: 'endless'
+    })
+
+    expect(strategy.family).to.equal('author-browse')
+    expect(strategy.paginationMode).to.equal('keyset')
+    expect(strategy.cursorKeys).to.deep.equal(['authorNamesFirstLast', 'titleIgnorePrefix', 'id'])
+  })
+
+  it('defines a filtered browse family for generic library filters', () => {
+    const strategy = getLibraryBrowseStrategy({
+      mediaType: 'book',
+      sortBy: 'media.metadata.title',
+      filterGroup: 'tags',
+      pageMode: 'endless'
+    })
+
+    expect(strategy.family).to.equal('filtered-browse')
+  })
+
+  it('defines a series browse family', () => {
+    const strategy = getLibraryBrowseStrategy({
+      mediaType: 'book',
+      sortBy: 'sequence',
+      filterGroup: 'series',
+      pageMode: 'endless'
+    })
+
+    expect(strategy.family).to.equal('series-browse')
+  })
+
+  it('defines a collapsed-series browse family', () => {
+    const strategy = getLibraryBrowseStrategy({
+      mediaType: 'book',
+      sortBy: 'sequence',
+      filterGroup: 'series',
+      pageMode: 'endless',
+      collapseseries: true
+    })
+
+    expect(strategy.family).to.equal('collapsed-series-browse')
+  })
+
+  it('defines a podcast browse family', () => {
+    const strategy = getLibraryBrowseStrategy({
+      mediaType: 'podcast',
+      sortBy: 'media.metadata.title',
+      filterGroup: null,
+      pageMode: 'endless'
+    })
+
+    expect(strategy.family).to.equal('podcast-browse')
+  })
+})