The Shared Staffing Program in Illinois began in 1975 under co-operative funding from the Illinois State Library, the public library systems, and local libraries. By 1977 fifteen public libraries in three systems were involved in seven projects, each funded for three years. The original objective was to provide beginning professional librarians the opportunity to work in libraries serving populations of less than 10,000 that had not had professional staff members until that time. In actual practice, the persons hired did not work as the administrators of small libraries, but as staff members in reference and adult services, children's work, community service, cataloging, homebound service, and administrative services in libraries of various sizes. The program policy review resulted in a recommendation that the program continue because it was effectively increasing the numbers of professional librarians in public libraries and was based on sound principles of public library operation. (Author/JAB)