CO-SPONSORED BY THE STATE LIBRARIES OF ILLINOIS, INDIANA, AND MISSOURI, THIS STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN TO DETERMINE THE POTENTIAL OF STATE LIBRARIES IN THE EXPANSION OF THEIR ROLE AS COLLECTORS AND DISTRIBUTORS OF LIBRARY STATISTICS ON A REGIONAL AND NATIONAL SCALE, AND TO OBTAIN SOME IDEA OF THE USES AND USERS OF CURRENTLY PUBLISHED STATISTICS AS INDICATORS OF THE FUTURE ROLE AND SCOPE OF STATE GENERATED STATISTICAL COMPILATIONS. DATA COLLECTED FROM PUBLISHED SOURCES, CORRESPONDENCE AND INTERVIEWS WITH LIBRARIANS IN THE THREE STATE LIBRARIES, AND QUESTIONNAIRE-CHECKLISTS SENT TO OVER 400 PUBLIC LIBRARIANS LED TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT (1) THE STATE LIBRARY GIVE PRIORITY TO COLLECTING AND REPORTING STATISTICAL INFORMATION FOR PUBLIC LIBRARIES ONLY, (2) STATE LIBRARIANS INVESTIGATE THE POSSIBILITY OF A NATIONAL SYSTEM FOR PUBLIC LIBRARY STATISTICS, (3) THE STATE LIBRARIES PUBLISH SALARY STATISTICS, (4) THE STATE LIBRARY PREPARE INDEXES FOR VARIOUS SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES ON STATE-WIDE DATA, (5) THE STATE LIBRARY CONCENTRATE ON PRESENTING IN DETAIL STATISTICS IN "EXTREMELY USEFUL" AREAS, AND (6) THE STATE LIBRARY ESTABLISH A POSITION OF RESEARCH AND STATISTICS CONSULTANT. THIS DOCUMENT IS AVAILABLE FREE ON REQUEST FROM THE ILLINOIS STATE LIBRARY, CENTENNIAL BUILDING, SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, 62706. (AUTHOR/CC)