Designed as a policy statement for staff and an orientation document for the new staff member, this manual presents reference service guidelines for user assisted access to the library collections and library instruction. The manual sets forth the purpose, goals, and ethics of reference service; defines categories of users; establishes priorities of service; describes reference desk service operations; outlines interlibrary loan and document collection policies to be followed by reference personnel; explains the nature and extent of bibliographic services; provides administrative correspondence rules; and develops and defines the bibliographic instruction program. Each of these areas includes a general statement of policy, identification of individual staff responsibilities, and detailed operating procedures. (RAA)