This report documents a national examination of the role of the public library in rural America. The investigation consisted of a study of public library use patterns in over 300 libraries among 2,485 adults (44% of the total contacted) in nonmetropolitan America. Seven of 10 public library users in rural areas are women, with a median age of 42 years. Lack of time and lack of need are cited as the most common reasons for not using the library, with having a lack of transportation, being physically unable to access the library, and not knowing what is at the library also cited. Forty-five percent of respondents use the library or its services at least once a month. Respondents were often unfamiliar with services other than books, magazines, and newspapers, and there was an overall discrepancy between their needs for daily information and their reliance on the library for bestsellers and reference books. Several strategies are suggested to change the perceptions about and uses of rural libraries. One table and 14 graphs illustrate the survey findings. (Contains 38 references.) (SLD)