This book is for community leaders, librarians, library committees, volunteers, aid workers and others who are interested in the practical aspect of starting and maintaining a successful library. Throughout the developing world, countless dedicated people respond to the pressing need for information in their communities by helping to start a library. They often have no formal training in library science and overcome enormous difficulties to establish collections of resources that enrich their communities. This book is a practical guide to help communities meet the challenges of setting up and running a library. It was inspired by the author's own experiences setting up a library with a community in West Africa and shaped by letters from hundreds of other aid workers and community librarians from around the globe. First-hand experience with the frustrations, challenges and rewards of setting up a library has given the author a deep sense of respect for and solidarity with community librarians facing similar challenges. The introduction to this manual focuses on specific issues that the community and the library founder(s) need to address before establishing a library. The second and third sections focus on establishing and managing a library. Each section is divided into several parts. There is a list of "action steps" at the end of each part summarising what needs to be done at each stage of planning and running a library. It is best to read through the entire manual once before carrying out the action steps for each part. At the back of this book, there is a "Resource Guide" listing programs that can assist communities, library committees and librarians to carry out the action steps and manage their libraries. A bibliography is included. (Contains 30 figures.) [This book was made possible by funding from the UNESCO Network of Associated Libraries.]