As promised, here is the hit. Thanks to all who responded
I had a similar problem last year. When I was hired, we were receiving
52 subscriptions to our school library (1300 students) and very few
titles were actually glanced over. I reduced the subscriptions to about
15 with a high-interest, pleasure reading selection and saved a lot of
money. EBSCO called me several times with concerns as to why I changed
my order so drastically, but it worked out for the best. Out of the
reduction, there was only one complaint that I didn't have a particular
snowboarding magazine any longer.
********************
Our periodicals are used solely for leisure reading. We cut back on the
ones that were used for research because they really aren't used for
research anymore. The kids just use our databases now (that is when we can
tear them away from Wikipedia!).
********************
In Missouri, my opinion counts for very little. Our state mandates a
set number of magazine subscriptions based on student and faculty
population. We are allowed to cut that number in half if we
subscribe to one or more of the online databases you mentioned, but
that still means 48 hard copy subscriptions...
On the other hand, between our casual browsers and those folks who
dig through the Reader's Guide to find specific articles for their
research, we see a pretty good use of our hard copy magazines. We
try to keep a five year stock of back issues, although some are worn
out by then!
********************
it was a hard decision but I got rid of almost all of them..they just
weren't being used. As a private Catholic school we don't have the budge to
buy popular titles for fun reading - People, Rolling Stone, etc. Even
though these are often used for research also, most are covered by the
databases.
I get Time (hasn't been touched in 2 years - so will probably cancel);
America (read by one nun); Popular Science (never touched- will cancel);
Consumer Reports (read by one teacher and me); SLJ (me - can't afford the
works reviewed but read it for the articles); National Catholic Reporter
(read by the same nun and me). That's it.
Our teachers teach 6 classes a day and have a supervision; 20 min lunches -
so no time for magazines. Our students read them online if they read them
at all.
********************
At the secondary I stopped buying anything but the most basic, time,
newsweek, etc and the rest are on recreational reading. This year I will
stop checkout. Each year it seems to be less and less. At the
elementary I buy just barely the standard.
********************
It's very hard to say what to do about kids not reading the periodicals.
Do you have a comfortable space set aside for leisure reading? I think
that magazines are useful for much more than reference (which is what
databases give you). How many of your girls would read Seventeen if it
were only available from EBSCO, or ProQuest, or Gale? I provide about
80 print subscriptions to my students (some "serious," many
recreational) and try to evaluate their use (not easy) but I do think
they are valuable just as an easy way to attract all sorts of kids to
read who wouldn't necessarily otherwise.
I'd resist the temptation to do away with most magazine subs and try
to find some ways to promote their use instead.
See our periodical list here: http://rhsweb.org/library/periodicals.htm
Good luck.
********************
I've cut back on mine severely. We are down to 22 from 40 two years ago.
No one has missed them.
********************
My periodicals - maybe 20 titles - are pretty much ones kids browse through
(People, SI, Teen Vogue, Outdoor Life (remember this is Montana!) and the
like). I do get Time magazine because teachers requested I keep at least
one news magazine. But I don't subscribe to any "research" type
periodicals as we have indexed access to most all of them through the
Montana State Library contract with Thompson Gale (InfoTrac +) and the SIRS
researcher database.
I also don't worry about keeping periodicals longer than the current school
year. After that, they can be cut up for projects. I don't have space for
lots of magazines, and it saves time not having to keep years of them in
order for research.
********************
We still subscribe to many hard copies of periodicals, however most of
them are recreation or lifetime hobby or special interest magazines (Car
and Driver, Hot Rod, Sewing Magazines, Crafts, Field and Stream, Outdoor
Life, Brides, etc). Ours are displayed prominently in the library and
they are read a lot. I still archive them for five years and then give
them to departments to use. Our periodical databases are used for
reports and papers. I will continue with hard copies of these types of
magazines in the foreseeable future.
********************
I've cut way back on our subscriptions over the last few years. Only the
ones that get browsed a lot get kept.
I started allowing them to circulate this year and that has helped some-
even though they get a bit beaten up at least they're being read more.
Each year I try 1 or 2 new ones to see how they go over. If they don't get
used I don't renew them.
********************
I significantly reduced the number of subscriptions, partly due to the
budget and partly because not much reading of periodicals was being done.
Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, American Heritage, Scientific American
are kept for 5 years as they are used by the science and history
departments. Special Issues of Time are kept indefinitely. Consumer
Reports, ESPN and Skiing are only kept for the current year, except for
Special issues of Time which are kept indefinitely.
********************
We subscribe to about 40 magazines - the only ones that get read are the
"fun reads" but that's about 10 or so, I think, based on what I find lying
around. Our kids read them when they are passing the time in the library -
waiting for their class to finish on the computers, hanging out at lunch,
etc. I think you can make a case for dropping the "serious magazines"
because those will probably only be accessed through a database, but for
browsing - nothing beats a hard copy to hide that food behind...
********************
I'm down to about 9 magazines -- 2 of which are Booklist and VOYA - so
only 7 of interest to the students/staff. My big circulators are
Seventeen and Sport Compact Car.
********************
Paul, do you check out magazines to students? [Yes, we do, all except the
current issue] Our hard copy magazines are more popular than ever. And now
I've got the teachers clamoring to check them out when they come off
display each month. I'm thinking about increasing our magazine
subscriptions, but I've run out of display space. I subscribe to 40 titles
for a school of 500 kids and 35 teachers.
********************
I have canceled many subscriptions to journals that were not being used
much and were also available in our EBSCO database. I used the freed up
money to buy more popular titles that the students might read for fun. The
only down side is that because the cancelled titles are more expensive than
the popular ones, we end up with more magazines to process (not popular
with my clerk.)
I'm hoping that management doesn't notice this shift and cut my magazine
budget in response. It's already pretty slim.
***********************
Paul D. Birkby
Media Specialist
Penfield High School
25 High School Drive
Penfield, NY 14526
Paul_Birkby@penfield.monroe.edu
"I really didn't realize the librarians were, you know, such a dangerous
group. They are subversive. You think they're just sitting there at the
desk, all quiet and everything. They're like plotting the revolution, man.
I wouldn't mess with them." Michael Moore
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