Intended as a guide and resource for staff and volunteers in small public libraries in Alaska, this manual is divided into the following chapters: (1) "Establishing a Library," which covers the establishment by ordinance or by organization of a non-profit corporation, information on drafting bylaws, and the role and responsibilities of the library board or committee; (2) "The Library Building," which discusses planning, shared use facilities, grants, construction, furnishings, equipment, shelving, and sign systems; (3) "Administering the Library," which considers funding, state grants, purchasing and receiving, management tips, copyright, public relations/public information, and volunteers; (4) "The Library Collection," which presents information on selection, ordering, processing, and weeding of books, periodicals, and audio-visual media; (5) "Operating a Library," which describes the arrangement of the collection, classification and cataloging, the card catalog and shelflist, circulation, the Alaska Library Network Catalog and Alaska State Library Film/Video Catalog, and interlibrary loan; (6) "Selection Policies," which covers the mission statement and goals, responsibility for selection, criteria, procedures, policies on controversial materials, reconsideration, and weeding; (7) "Programming," which suggests resources and program ideas; and (8) "Procedures," which discusses the importance of procedures and the design of a manual, and provides examples. The appendixes include a number of sample documents corresponding to these topics. (MES)