learning basic sysadmin functions

[Kenneth Irwin]

Hi folks,

In the fall, our library will be gettings its own web server (HP-UX/Apache)
instead of sharing a system with other departments on campus. We'll still
have the campus computing folks doing the regular upkeep of the server, but
we'll have a little more local control over users, software installation,
etc. and I'll have root access -- trouble is that I haven't got much
experience with such stuff -- any suggestions on how to learn enough not to
be too dangerous?

The things that I'd expect to do would include:
 -adding users, groups, etc. and changing user/directory permissions
appropriately
 -make-ing and installing software (eg mySQL, php, etc.)
 -reading/using/editting httpd.conf and other Apache-type operations
 -knowing enough to recognize what I ought not attempt!

where do people pick up these skills? i'd really like to take a class if
possible and not just rely on a book, but if there's a good introductory
book, that might be good too. 

i'd also be interested in hearing about other non-systems-type people's
experiences with this kind of access. I've been the library's webmaster for
about two years and have been using various flavors of UNIX for about four,
but I have only a little experience with root access and am not quite sure
what I even need to know.

Thanks,
ken