The State Library Agencies (STLA) Survey is conducted annually and is the product of a cooperative effort between the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA), the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS), and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The Survey provides state and federal policymakers, researchers, and other interested users with descriptive information about state library agencies in the 50 states and the District of Columbia for fiscal year 1996. The survey collects data on 462 items, including governance, public service hours, number and types of service outlets, type and size of collections, library service transactions and development transactions, support of electronic information networks, allied operations, staff, and income and expenditures. Data are also collected on STLA services to public, academic, school and special libraries, and to library systems. The data items and definitions are provided in the survey facsimile at the end of the data base documentation. (AEF)