When considering the possibility of setting goals and objectives, library administrators must resolve a number of broad questions as to the time, effort, and commitment required by goal-setting and the utility of such goals to their staff and operations. A description of the goal-setting efforts of ten major libraries illustrates various steps in this process. Many libraries have responded to the challenge of planning by undertaking systematic programs of management analysis. One such program is the Management Review and Analysis Program (MRAP), developed by the Association of Research Libraries. Becasue most written statements of objectives have been formulated recently, conclusions about their applications and effectiveness can only be tentative. While mission and objective statements have value, a statement that does not include performance goals may risk remaining only a statement of intent. However, because the process of setting performance goals can be costly and time-consuming, very little work has been done to develop explicit goals; and it can be concluded that the use of objectives as a management tool is not yet a fully developed process in library management. (Author/SL)