In Texas, that has led to cuts in operating budgets, limited hours, reduced materials budgets, hiring freezes or elimination of personnel, and reduced library programs.

To offset some of these cuts the Northeast Texas Library System sought out the assistance of the University of North Texas School of Library and Information Sciences in creating an affordable and convenient means to train staff through UNT's Library Education @ Desktop program.

LE@D is funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services, an independent federal grant-making agency, to address the need of the libraries in Texas and the United States for quick, high quality staff training at only $7 per student per course. The online training courses cover everything from privacy laws to difficult patrons.

In its beginning stages the online class modules were tested by NETLS members. Since then it has expanded to library systems throughout the state and to three additional states -- including Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota.

"Though it started with NETLS, these courses were designed to meet the needs of all library systems from large systems -- like the Dallas public libraries -- to smaller rural libraries," says Gary Werchan, LE@D project coordinator. "We surveyed libraries across the state to find out the areas where training was needed."

The project is based in the Texas Center for Digital Knowledge at UNT.

NETLS is an organization serving public libraries which represent 33 counties in the northeast corner of the state -- an area containing more than 3 million people.

The first series course addressed the many intricacies of library patron policy, including the controversial USA Patriot Act, which allows law enforcement to obtain library usage records under certain circumstances. The online course was called "Library Privacy and Confidentiality: Law and Policy."

Two other courses, "Managing Difficult Patrons with Confidence" and "Providing Excellent Customer Service in a Multicultural Environment" followed. Today, nearly 4,000 librarians and library staff have taken advantage of these first three courses, Werchen says. There are nine courses total including those in development over the next several months.

Other topics include copyright basics for libraries, dealing with teens, the internet, communication skills, databases and improving co-worker relations.

Participants can take the classes at any time. The classes contain interactive features like animation, video clips of instruction, staged demonstrations and student discussions as well as commentary from field experts.

Some of the libraries within the systems partnering with UNT for this project are the Alamo Area Library System, Big Country Library System, Central Texas Library System, Collin County Community College, Institute for Continuous Education, Nebraska Library Commission, North Texas Regional Library System, Northeast Texas Library System, South Dakota State Library, South Texas Library System, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, West Texas Library System.

For more information contact Werchan at (940) 565-2445 or visit www.leadonline.info.