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The article discusses about the many services small, rural libraries in Texas can provide their community and connect with them. It suggests that libraries can provide free, wireless internet access to migrant farm laborers, students and other users, offer to host meeting spaces for companies and organizations, and develop partnership with local schools and school libraries.

Reports news related to libraries as of January, 2003. Additional funding for sixty additional staff positions at the Jacksonville Public Library in Florida; Recommended raises for staffers at the Akron-Summit County Public Library; Use of a public library computer at the Warren Public Library in Michigan by a teenager who sent e-mail messages to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation threatening to kill U.S. President George W. Bush; Retirement of Harold Billings, director of general libraries at the University of Texas at Austin; Other news.

Reports on iJury, a partnership of Texas's Travis County and the Austin Public Libraries which speeds the process of jury selection. Improvements over the traditional postal system method; How potential jurors can respond to a summons.

Reports that Houston, Texas is offering library users free access to so-called virtual desktop software. What the software provides; Comments of Houston Mayor Lee Brown regarding the project; Benefits for library users; Background on the virtual desktop, SimHouston.

The article focuses on the significance of Lifelong Education at your Desk-top (LE@D) course, an online workshop designed for people working inside the libraries in Texas. The advantage of the LE@D online training was that anyone can take classes from any Internet-linked computer and the student can start and stop at its own self-paced. Furthermore, LE@D courses are approved for three contact hours of credit by the Western Council of State Libraries.

Reports on a library program in Houston, Texas which will give library card-holding residents free access to email, word processing, spreadsheet software and document storage space. Positive reaction to the program; Technological facilities at the libraries; Cost effectiveness of the program.

Talks about the curbside Internet access for patrons of the bookmobile service of the Sterling Municipal Library in Baytown, Texas; Comments from Denise Fischer, city librarian; Features of a wirless solution from Avaya implemented at the library.

Offers news briefs related to censorship in the United States as of November 1, 2000. Installation of Internet filters in Michigan libraries despite voter opposition; Opposition of churches to a showing of the motion picture 'The Last Temptation of Christ,' at the Catskill (N.Y.) Public Library; Decision of U.S. District Judge Jerry Buchmeyer that an ordinance legalizing library censorship in Wichita Falls, Texas is unconstitutional; Decision not to ban the book 'Fallen Angels' at the Arlington (Tex.) Independendent School District.