THIS STUDY OF PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICE IN CALIFORNIA EXAMINES ITS DEVELOPMENT AND RESOURCES, RECOMMENDS GOALS TO BE ACHIEVED IN ORDER TO MEET PRESENT AND EMERGING NEEDS, SUGGESTS A PROGRAM OF DEVELOPMENT, AND OUTLINES COSTS OF THE PROGRAM. CONDUCTED IN 1965, INFORMATION FOR THIS STUDY WAS OBTAINED FROM 1963-64 PUBLIC LIBRARY STATISTICS GATHERED BY THE CALIFORNIA STATE LIBRARY, A QUESTIONNAIRE SENT TO LIBRARIES, TITLE CHECKLISTS, FIELD VISITS, AND AN EXAMINATION OF LOCAL PLANNING STUDIES. PUBLIC LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT, THE CURRENT SITUATION, THE ROLE OF THE STATE LIBRARY, AND EFFORTS TO MOVE TO A STATEWIDE LIBRARY SYSTEM WERE ANALYZED, WHILE SCHOOL AND RESEARCH LIBRARY SERVICE WERE CONSIDERED SECONDARILY. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT CALIFORNIA WAS NOT ADEQUATELY CARRYING OUT THE KIND OF PUBLIC LIBRARY PROGRAM OUTLINED IN ITS OWN POLICY AND NEEDED BY ITS PEOPLE. A SUGGESTED PROGRAM FOR DEVELOPMENT IS PRESENTED IN DETAIL. ITS ESSENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE--(1) A COORDINATED PLAN FOR PUBLIC LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT ON A STATEWIDE BASIS, (2) CLARIFICATION OF THE ROLE OF THE STATE LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT IN LIBRARY ACTIVITIES, AND (3) A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THE LIBRARY PROGRAM, BRINGING EXPENDITURES UP TO APPROXIMATELY ONE PERCENT OF PUBLIC EXPENDITURES AND ONE-TWENTIETH THE SUM SPENT ON SCHOOLS. APPENDED IS A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF 48 RECENT STUDIES OF CALIFORNIA PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVICE, THE QUESTIONNAIRE USED, THE FIELD VISIT OBSERVATION SCHEDULE AND LIBRARIES VISITED, AND THE TITLE CHECKLISTS. (JB)