This handbook for library trustees identifies the duties and responsibilities of library boards and librarians, the qualifications of an effective library and of a library board, and library policy requirements. The concept of intellectual freedom, the Library Bill of Rights, and the Freedom to Read Statement are discussed, and the role of the Department of State Library Services is outlined. Library organizations which provide continuing education and training for trustees are identified, and both the Rhode Island Interrelated Library Film Network and the Rhode Island Library Film Cooperative are discussed. A guide to the library and library-related laws of Rhode Island is provided, as well as a bibliography listing 17 books, three AV titles, and seven journals of interest to trustees. A brief history of public libraries and an interrelated library system map of Rhode Island are also provided. An outline of the organization of library boards and sample bylaws for a public library are appended. (RBF)