The long-term goal of this investigation is to design and establish a national model for a system of library statistical data. This is a report on The Preliminary Study which was carried out over an 11-month period ending May, 1969. The objective of The Preliminary Study was to design and delimit The Research Investigation in the most efficient and meaningful way. The Preliminary Study concentrated on (1) the background research required to determine the nature and relevance of previous and ongoing research in this field and (2) the design of The Research Investigation. The Preliminary Study included a literature search and intensive review of relevant research, interviews with a wide variety of librarians, officials of library associations, government officials, and university researchers, and other activities relevant to the construction of the design of The Research Investigation. This final report primarily consists of a proposal for The Research Investigation and a summary of a background study on "Statistical Measures Required for Library Managerial Decision Making Under a Planning-Programming-Budgeting-System (PPBS)." This background study was a masters thesis by Jerome Ackerman (University of Pennsylvania), partially supported under the grant for The Preliminary Investigation. Appended are a 101-item bibliography and library benefit-cost management model. (Author/JB)