Re: SEC:weeding periodicals

["Jeanette B. Heath" <heathf@DREAMSCAPE.COM>]

How long you keep magazines really varies; I keep them from 1-50 years!
        I had the same question you have when I first started at my new
building.  I decided to find out what was being USED.
        Since our magazines circulated AND were used in the room, the circ.
stats. didn't help.  So I taped half a 3x5 card to the front of the storage
boxes.  Since only staff shelves magazines, I had them put a tally mark on
the card every time they put magazines AWAY.
        The newest issue is kept at the desk, and students sign for them by
number (a number on the plastic folder).  Before discarding the filled
sheet, I made a tally of what new magazines had been used.
        In March, when I had to send out my new purchase order requests, I
had numbers to show me what was being used.
        Before Canceling a magazine subscription, I did put a note in the
teachers mailboxes asking "if the cancellations would cause a problem
please let me know." I did get several responses, and put them on a "watch"
list.  This gave them a temporary reprieve.  Others were not spoken for.  I
found several that hadn't be read at all-new or old!  They're gone!  I have
replaced them with new titles.
        With the tallies on the boxes, I also have been able to adjust how
long we keep the magazines.
        I have been trying to complete my national Geographic collection.
It is amazing how often it is used.  From Art to Science to Social
Studies...it's useful to everybody.  But especially so since we purchased
the bound index and the updates.  That's a must have!

The ones I keep the longest are
8-10yrs    Time, Newsweek, US News and world report (and of course National
geog to the 40's)
1-2 years       Teen, Hot Rod, etc.

One magazine that is wonderful that not many have is CQ Researcher.  It is
a weekly magazine that has a different issue dealt with for each issue.  So
one week you may get an issue on unwed mothers....the next on educational
violence.
The issue provides pros and cons, statistics, charts and graphs, a time
line, and historical events.  It also contains a bibliography and suggested
readings.
This is the number 1 magazine in my Media Center.  I even get a hard bound
version so the weekly issues can circulate.

Hope this helps.  Write back if you have any questions.


Mrs. Jeanette B. Heath
Library Media Specialist
Red Creek Jr./Sr. High School
PO Box 190
Red Creek, NY 13143

Heathf@dreamscape.com (home)

 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 To quit LM_NET (or set NOMAIL or DIGEST), Send an email message to:
 listserv@listserv.syr.edu          In the message write either:
 1)  SIGNOFF LM_NET         or
 2)  SET LM_NET NOMAIL      or
 3)  SET LM_NET DIGEST
 For more help see LM_NET On The Web:  http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
 =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=