Moving PA Forward | Pennsylvania Libraries

On Monday February 13, Pennsylvania's libraries launched PA Forward before a crowd of state legislators, business leaders, statewide association executives, state agency delegates and library supporters at the State Capitol.

Part revolution and part evolution, PA Forward is a dynamic, new movement that redefines Pennsylvania's libraries as a central hub for promoting the five literacies essential to our citizens' success:

     - Basic literacy 
     - Information literacy
     - Civic and social literacy
     - Health literacy
     - Financial literacy

Visit paforward.org to learn more about what makes your local library uniquely qualified to be your community's leader of information, technology, and learning — places that fuel educational and economic opportunity for all.

Googling Symptoms?-- the Library has Better Info

An article from Fox news was sent to me today, Stop Googling Your Symptoms, Doctors Warn, that said doctors "are seeing too many 'cyberchondriacs', people who misdiagnose their illnesses after Googling their symptoms."

That may be true, but I think it's great that people are arming themselves with information whenever they have a medical problem. It's just that Googling symptoms probably isn't the best place to start. As the article says "any wacko can write anything and put it on the web."

You should start your research in a trustworthy place to be sure that your information is accurate and credible. Then you can intelligently work with your medical practitioner to find the best solution.

Where can you do that? ... the Library of course! We invest a lot of money in these resources every year.

This year, Fredricksen Library and its East Pennsboro Branch are using a $15,000 LSTA grant to update our health and wellness collections.

Bosler Library also receives ongoing funding from the Carlisle Health and Wellness Foundation to make sure that we can offer up-to-date, authoritative online resources. The Bosler Library also just received word that it will receive a $5000 grant from Commonwealth Libraries' LSTA program to continue updating our consumer health collection this coming year.

Plus, we also have trained librarians who can assist you with finding information. So don't be one of those people the doctors are complaining about. Be sure you have accurate, credible information first!