This study focuses on the question of whether the public library can or will be one of the non-formal providers of lifelong learning in Minnesota, and uses the Delphi method to discover in what way the public library as it is perceived by various publics could become an active participant in this dimension of the educational process. Five groups are identified as having potential impact on the lifelong learning component of public library futures: information systems specialists, adult educators, representatives of funding sources, library users, and library practitioners. Members of these groups responded to questions concerned with social and economic change, work and leisure, technological advances, the information-based society, education, and government funding. Conclusions and recommendations for both practical applications of study findings and for future studies are listed. (FM)