Part of the Striving for Excellence program of the Utah State Library requires participating public libraries to conduct community needs assessments. This is a way for library directors and trustees to find out if the mission they have chosen and the policies they have written are still appropriate as they identify the strengths and weaknesses of their programs. The assessment plans detailed in this booklet are designed for small and rural libraries. A first step is preparing a community profile, and a worksheet is provided for this purpose. Two possibilities for needs assessment are a forum to focus on needs and interests of community leadership and a needs assessment survey. However the information is collected, library trustees must then analyze the findings and prepare a library development plan, summarizing the goals and objectives from the previous year as well as those for the coming year, and establishing a 6-month plan toward achieving the assessment. An appendix contains a sample survey and a brief bibliography. (Contains 7 references.) (SLD)