Some of the conditions in research libraries which have shaped the Office of University Library Management Studies' (OMS) approach to library management studies are outlined, OMS activities during 1976 are described, as well as priorities for 1977. OMS work with member libraries in 1976 indicated that research libraries are primarily concerned with: (1) increasing financial pressures; (2) the need for improved processes for building, maintaining, and servicing collections; (3) the difficulty in understanding and influencing libraries' organizational environments; (4) the need to improve libraries' effectiveness by redefining their goals; and (5) the requirement to clarify the role of library managers and improve the use of staff resources. The OMS has responded to these concerns through the Management and Analysis Program, Management Skills Institutes, a goals-based staff performance appraisal program, the design of a focused self-study and subsequent pilot test, the Management Training Film Program, regional workshops, surveys conducted by the Systems and Procedures Exchange Center, and studies of the use of managerial and technical specialists, machine-based information services, and collection management in research libraries. An annotated list of the flyers and kits from the Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) is provided, as well as a bibliography of OMS publications and documentation for 1976. (Author/CWM)