In September 1988, the Public Library/Trustees Section of the Kansas Library Association, with the support of the School of Library and Information Management at Emporia State University and the Kansas State Library, held a conference on economic vitality. Following a "Review and Preview" by Martha Hale, Dean of the School of Library and Information Management, three of the major speeches are presented in this collection. In the first paper, "Libraries and Economic Development: Reality and Potential," Kansas State Librarian Duane Johnson articulates the Kansas Economic Development Information Network, a vision for the future. In the second paper, "Economic Development in a Small Rural Community," Mary Alice Harvey recounts her experiences as Director of the Grand Marais Public Library, Minnesota, making many of those present aware of economic development activities that can be a part of daily operations in a small town library in a rural area. In the third paper, "Libraries Mean Business," Sarah Long, Director of the Library Association of Portland, Oregon, describes major projects that demonstrate one public library's success at playing a role in local economic development in an urban setting. Also included is a 22-item annotated bibliography compiled by Margaret Anderson, Director of the Fort Scott (Kansas) Public Library, that describes resources useful to public librarians interested in economic development in local communities. (SD)