This report describes the design of the Literacy in Libraries Across America (LILAA) persistence study, the strategies that participating libraries are using to increase student persistence, and emerging implementation issues. It describes existing patterns in student persistence, identifies factors that support or inhibit persistence, and begins to explore the relationship between program strategies and persistence. Chapter 1, an introduction, is followed by Chapter 2 that discusses the context for the persistence study. It reviews relevant literature and discusses the history of library literacy programs. Chapter 3 presents the research design. Chapter 4 provides early findings from the initial qualitative research that suggest three categories of themes and their related strategies that are particularly important in explaining student persistence: programmatic (integrating the program into the library; respecting and caring for adult students; reflecting the core principles of libraries), instructional (curricula; assessment; technology; volunteer tutors), and student-based (disabilities; cultural and personal identity; sponsors; personal goals). Chapter 5 contains the case studies of the five library literacy programs in the persistence study, which are New York, Greensboro, Redwood City, and Queens Borough, and Oakland Public Libraries. Chapter 6 concludes the report by summarizing the importance of studying persistence and the opportunities and challenges. The Appendix describes briefly 10 other library literacy programs that are part of the LILAA initiative but are not included in the persistence study. (YLB)