diff --git a/lib/helpers.bash b/lib/helpers.bash
index ec6587e..53756e6 100644
--- a/lib/helpers.bash
+++ b/lib/helpers.bash
@@ -28,3 +28,99 @@
 function reload_plugins() {
   _load_bash_it_files "plugins"
 }
+
+show_plugins ()
+{
+    about summarizes available bash_it plugins
+    group lib
+
+    typeset f
+    typeset enabled
+    printf "%-20s%-10s%s\n" 'Plugin' 'Enabled?' 'Description'
+    for f in $BASH_IT/plugins/available/*.bash
+    do
+        if [ -h $BASH_IT/plugins/enabled/$(basename $f) ]; then
+            enabled='x'
+        else
+            enabled=' '
+        fi
+        printf "%-20s%-10s%s\n" "$(basename $f | cut -d'.' -f1)" "  [$enabled]" "$(cat $f | metafor about-plugin)"
+    done
+    printf '\n%s\n' 'to enable a plugin, do:'
+    printf '%s\n' '$ enable_plugin <plugin name>'
+    printf '\n%s\n' 'to disable a plugin, do:'
+    printf '%s\n' '$ disable_plugin <plugin name>'
+}
+
+enable_plugin ()
+{
+    about enables bash_it plugin
+    param 1: plugin name
+    example '$ enable_plugin rvm'
+    group lib
+
+    typeset plugin=$(ls $BASH_IT/plugins/available/$1.*bash 2>/dev/null | head -1)
+    if [ -z "$plugin" ]; then
+        printf '%s\n' 'sorry, that does not appear to be an available plugin.'
+        return
+    fi
+
+    plugin=$(basename $plugin)
+    if [ -h $BASH_IT/plugins/enabled/$plugin ]; then
+        printf '%s\n' "$1 is already enabled."
+        return
+    fi
+
+    ln -s $BASH_IT/plugins/available/$plugin $BASH_IT/plugins/enabled/$plugin
+    printf '%s\n' "$1 is enabled."
+
+    reload_plugins
+    printf '%s\n' 'plugins reloaded.'
+}
+
+disable_plugin ()
+{
+    about disables bash_it plugin
+    param 1: plugin name
+    example '$ disable_plugin rvm'
+    group lib
+
+    typeset plugin=$(ls $BASH_IT/plugins/enabled/$1.*bash 2>/dev/null | head -1)
+    if [ -z "$plugin" ]; then
+        printf '%s\n' 'sorry, that does not appear to be an enabled plugin.'
+        return
+    fi
+    rm $BASH_IT/plugins/enabled/$(basename $plugin)
+    printf '%s\n' "$1 is disabled, and will be unavailable when you open a new terminal."
+}
+
+plugins-help ()
+{
+    about list all plugins and functions defined by bash-it
+    group lib
+
+    printf '%s\n' "bash-it plugins help"
+    printf '\n'
+    typeset group
+    for group in $(all_groups)
+    do
+        printf '%s\n' "group: $group"
+        glossary $group
+        printf '\n'
+    done
+}
+
+all_groups ()
+{
+    about displays all unique metadata groups
+    group lib
+
+    typeset func
+    typeset file=$(mktemp /tmp/composure.XXXX)
+    for func in $(typeset_functions)
+    do
+        typeset -f $func | metafor group >> $file
+    done
+    cat $file | sort | uniq
+    rm $file
+}