i have a site with forums and a blog and some info pages...would it be beneefical to my site in terms of SE and PR if i added a directory?
It may not help if you add directory to your site in terms of SE and Pr. It will help you if you add your site to directories
Yes, it will be beneficial to some extent. If you allow free links in your directory, you will get your URL included in all the lists of free directories always be published everywhere (like Dan's SEO Friendly List). And if you allow reciprocal links, they will help to a greater or lesser extent if the reciprocal links are related to your site.
Definitely would! More content = more traffic, more traffic = more $$$ ... if you ever decide to make your phpld template look like the rest of your website, let me know, I could help.
If you decide on taking up the services of aspidov expect quality work with creative design and functionality Definitely the way to go
phpLD2 is free, but I strongly recommend phpLD3. It is $25 if you leave a link to their site in the footer, or $75 if you want to remove the link. You can see it at http://www.phplinkdirectory.com.