The Librarian Kate

The Darby Library may still be in danger, but the City’s libraries have won a reprieve of sorts:

No Philadelphia Libraries to Close in Current Fiscal Year, but Open Hours Uncertain (Library Journal, 1/30/09)

I’ll take “shaky six” of a big fat wheelbarrow of nothing at all.

And by the way, District Attorney Lynne Abraham rocks.  You can find out why at the end of the article.  Dick Fuld, John Thain, et al – here’s a little food for thought for ya. 

Ideally, I should be reading for my Advanced Reference and Information Technologies classes right now, but since I’m LIS-blogging I feel like I can write this off (pun intended) as “professional development.”

Darby Library Faces the Ax: Oldest in U.S., It’s In a $ Pinch (Philadelphia Daily News, January 22, 2009)

Sigh.  These are tough times sure but when an institution so steeped in history is in danger of losing life support, one’s heart just breaks a little. More than a little, even.

I’m reminded of a bumper sticker my mom, a retired teacher, once had on her car:

Wouldn’t it be great if schools had all the money and the Air Force must hold a bake sale to buy a bomber?

Now, I’m a sports fan, and rooted for the Fightin’ Phils in this last series, but I’d feel all warm and fuzzy inside if instead of getting money from the city to expand or renovate Citizens Bank Park, it all went to the libraries (it’s not just Darby, the city’s libraries have their own problems and woes) and Charlie Manuel and his players had to sell homemade cookies and lemonade outside the park to raise the money?

The silver lining, faint as it might be, is that there is still time. I’m going to send a check off to the library next week, and I hope you will join me.