Book excerpt: This monograph, commissioned by the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges, presents information on the issues and practices of small and/or rural community colleges in the United States. Although a significant number of students enrolled in the nation's two-year colleges are attending small and rural colleges, there is a dearth of information about the qualities that make these institutions somewhat different from their larger urban counterparts. Frequently the research and resulting literature focus on larger, more financially developed systems that are on the cutting edge of innovation. This monograph was prepared to help create a basis of information from which additional research might be stimulated. The chapters include: (1) "Two-Year College Education on the Horizon" (G. Fisher); (2) "Economic Development" (D. Donato); (3) "Cultural and Civic Responsibility" (M. Weiss); (4) "High School Connections and Partnerships" (B. Thames); (5) "Literacy Practices" (J. Young); (6) "Uses of Technology" (R. Anderson); (7) "Resource Development" (J. Flower); and (8) "Commitment to Access" (J. Pickleman and M. Nigliazzo). (JCC)