Four officials of a Connecticut library organization stepped forward on Tuesday to describe what they said was a harrowing experience -- receiving a secret order from the federal government that required them to turn over library patrons' records without telling anyone.

In a meeting with reporters at a news conference here, the four officials confirmed that it was their organization, Library Connection Inc., of Windsor, that was the target of the order, which was issued under expanded government powers authorized by the USA Patriot Act. The order's existence came to light last year in court documents.

But the officials said they are still prohibited from talking about when they received the order, known formally as a national-security letter, as well as about who hand-delivered it and what the government was looking for. Unlike standard search warrants, national-security letters are issued without a judge's approval and bar the recipients from discussing the letters' contents with anyone except their lawyers.