  We present a Very Large Array (VLA) HI 21cm map and optical observations of
the region around one of the nearest damped Lyman-alpha absorbers beyond the
local group, SBS 1543+593. Two previously uncataloged galaxies have been
discovered and a redshift has been determined for a third. All three of these
galaxies are at the redshift of SBS 1543+593 and are ~185 kpc from the damped
Lyman-alpha absorber. We discuss the HI and optical properties of SBS 1543+593
and its newly identified neighbors. Both SBS 1543+593 and Dwarf 1 have baryonic
components that are dominated by neutral gas -- unusual for damped Lyman-alpha
absorbers for which only ~5% of the HI cross-section originates in such
strongly gas-dominated systems. What remains unknown is whether low mass
gas-rich groups are common surrounding gas-rich galaxies in the local universe
and whether the low star-formation rate in these systems is indicative of a
young system or a stable, slowly evolving system. We discuss these evolutionary
scenarios and future prospects for answering these questions.
