Post Gives NYPL TelRef Star Treatment

An article in yesterday's NY Post profiled New York Public Library's 24/7 telephone reference desk. Despite highlighting the service's glam factor with a couple mentions of Mad Men, the piece did an acceptable job presenting the wide variety of questions librarians commonly face.

More Fallout from Local Library Budget Cuts

Patrons of most New York Public Library branches will have to check their libraries' opening hours: starting February 16, service hour reductions will take effect at 58 locations. Blame Mayor Bloomberg's $5.9 million cut in library funding for this latest hardship.

In happier NYPL news, the system's St. Agnes Branch is set to reopen on February 11th after undergoing a top-to-bottom renovation.

Look at the Pretty Colors!

New York Public Library's website has been Drupalized. At first glance, it appears to be a major improvement. Three cheers for navigability! The new site features more locally-produced content and streamlined searching.

Welcome to NYPL's "evolving information ecosystem":

Ups and Downs at Queens Library

The era of extended weekend service may have come to a close. While all three New York City library systems had managed to increase service hours during the recession, Queens Library is the first to reverse this course. Beginning in February, 14 branches will be open Monday to Friday only.

But not all news is bad news for Queens Library this week. The Long Island City branch's Literacy Zone project has received a windfall grant from the New York State Department of Education. A new Welcome Center will include comprehensive literacy services and support a full-time case manager to "provide pathways out of poverty for individuals and families."

What other wonders and terrors have been visited upon us in the last month?

• More termites were discovered at Brooklyn Public Library's Fort Hamilton branch, delaying its reopening until Fall 2010.
  
• The NY Times' Paper Cuts blog profiled the Ottendorfer Library in recognition of its 125th birthday.
• Professional development requirements for New York State Public Librarian Certification are now more rigorous.
• Long Island University is looking for a new Dean of University Libraries.
• And the biggee: the New York State Legislature cut Library Aid by $4.2 million. Major ouch.