Thanks for the replies, y'all.
I am on the waiting list at my library for the "bee books." After my local beekeepers' association introductory short course two weekends ago, there was suddenly a great demand for them! I guess that's a compliment to the organizers, but it means I have to go hunting down information elsewhere in the meantime.
Also, I thought folks who regularly saw the process at work might have interesting insights to share along with the basic mechanics.
Again, thanks.