Throughout the history of public libraries in the United States, great accomplishments have been achieved through the active participation of local community members. This handbook from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission is addressed to those citizens who attain appointments to their city or county library advisory boards. Its purposes are to help board members: understand their roles and responsibilities in a variety of situations that may arise during their terms;direct their efforts so that they best serve their offices and their libraries through productive, rewarding work;understand their positions in the context of current public library philosophy and practice in the United States; understand the positions of their libraries in the context of public library organization and practice in the State of Texas; realize that they are part of a vast network of persons, institutions, and associations committed to the ideal that a democracy is most appreciated and best served by citizens empowered through a free and independent pursuit of--and with access to--information and ideas; appreciate their services as part of a noble and long-standing tradition; and to help library directors plan their own productive, rewarding collaboration with their boards. Chapters include: Public Library Advisory Boards in Texas; the Library Director and the Advisory Board; Planning; Policies and Procedures; Money Matters; Library Board Meetings; Library Board and Library Promotion; Friends of the Library; Texas State Library and Archives Commission; and Texas Library Systems Interlibrary Loan Centers. Appendixes include: library position papers; legal citations; a selective glossary; and resources. (AEF)