This study sought to determine which sources of information were most often used by the West Virginia public higher education governing board, and to assess the sources' usefulness in examining major higher education policy issues. Data were based on a mailed survey that asked members of the Board of Directors of the West Virginia state college system to identify which of 25 external and internal sources of information they found most useful. Sources included campus catalogs, institutional audits and reports, a statewide higher education report card, state higher education publications, Southern Regional Education Board publications, and the World Wide Web. Of 12 voting board members, nine returned surveys. Analysis indicated that, on average, board members used 10.89 sources, with six, including the statewide higher education report card and special reports prepared by central staff, judged as the most useful internal sources. All board members also obtained information from external sources such as local newspapers and state legislators. Respondents were also asked to rank important policy issues. Of the 18 issues listed, presidential activities and evaluations, legal issues, and enrollment ranked as the most important. Five data tables are included. (CH)