85 Reasons to be Thankful for Librarians (via Zen College Life)

(Twitter: @staceygreenwell) I'm not sure who Jonathan is, or which college he's at, but I'm thankful that he's posted 85 Reasons to be Thankful for Librarians.

Of course, not every reason applies to every library, but some do because they focus on the skills librarians (or information professionals) bring to the table, no matter what the setting. Here are three of my favorites from Jonathan's list:

32. Libraries have much better quality control than the vast majority of websites.
49. Unlike the internet, libraries are careful that the information they contain is checked for usefulness before being included.
85. Regardless of what form a library takes, a librarian will always be ready to guide you to the information you need.

P.S. Thanks, for alerting me, Stacey!

For Public Libraries, Great News in New York and Horrible in Philadelphia

Some branches of the New York Public Library are expanding hours from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., starting today.

But in Philadelphia, almost the whole system could shut down, at least temporarily, starting Oct. 2. It's interesting that in Philly, patrons will still be able to use the library's Web site and databases. Will the powers that be see electronic access as "good enough"? I doubt it, but it's good that the Free Library is keeping some services available during the possible shutdown anyway. It's interesting that the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped at 919 Walnut St. will remain open weekdays from 9-5. Here's why.