A brief discussion of the development of a handbook to be used as a training aid by student assistants in the reference room of a university library and a review of the literature on such training introduce a handbook which was developed at Mankato State University. Designed to provide both informational sections and programed exercises to aid new students in the reference room, the handbook covers the card catalog and Library of Congress Subject Headings, closing procedures, college catalogs, MINITEX/interlibrary loan, online catalog, processing college catalogs, processing ready reference materials, questions frequently asked, ready reference, returning materials to other areas, scheduling, shelf reading, shelving, tattle-taping, the telephone, telephone directories, time sheets, validating print requests, and weekend duty. A summary and recommendations conclude the report, and a 54-item bibliography lists books, ERIC documents, periodical articles, and nonprint materials. (RBF)