This manual is intended to provide guidance to those interested in establishing an electronic bulletin board system (BBS) that enables users to send and read messages both individually and by teleconferencing, and to transfer files to and from the system. The manual begins with a definition of a BBS and explains its uses and facilities. It then gives instructions for starting and operating a BBS, including: (1) hardware requirements (microcomputers, modems, telephone lines, printer and a tape backup system); (2) software requirements (bulletin board system software, call analyzer software, and multi-tasking software); and (3) the selection of a system operator. Also discussed are the day-to-day operations of a BBS, including monitoring messages, refreshing bulletins or files, taking security precautions to safeguard the system, and analyzing bulletin board traffic. The appendices include a list of the functional features of a BBS, examples of the screen displays from the Microcomputer Electronic Information Exchange (MEIE) BBS, and an explanation of XMODEM file transfer procedures. It is noted that the MEIE is in the public domain and representative of similar commercially available products. (8 references) (DB)