How would you set up a permanent SAS library?

Setting up a permanent SAS library is accomplished through the LIBNAME statement. This statement assigns a library reference (libref) to a specific location on your file system where SAS data sets will be stored. The LIBNAME statement allows you to specify the path to the folder that will hold your data files, thus enabling the permanent storage of datasets. When a libref is assigned with the LIBNAME statement, any datasets created within that library will remain accessible across different SAS sessions until they are deleted, making data management more efficient.

Other methods mentioned, such as using the DATA statement or creating a new dataset, focus on data manipulation or creation within a temporary context, and do not establish a long-term storage solution like a SAS library does. Importing data from external sources can facilitate data entry into SAS, but it does not itself define or maintain a permanent library. Therefore, the LIBNAME statement is the correct approach for setting up a permanent SAS library.