Rant: West Seattle Library getting rid of their Magazine exchange

[Wes]

We love the West Seattle Library. But do not like the their new idea of getting rid of the magazine exchange. It has helped a lot especially with my wife when she has to wait a long time in her truck at work. Also a great way to recycle the magazines and share knowledge! Feel the same way? Help us by going to the West Seattle Library and asking them politely to keep the magazine exchange. Thanks!

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[JoB]

I didn’t know about the exchange. I will definitely ask them to keep it. If they won’t maybe we can interest one of

the local coffee shops.

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[Ken]

I have never heard of a magazine exchange. Google shows no mention of it except this post.

(I don’t read magazines anyway due to the 3 month lead time)

The format is dead due to the collapse of the ad support business model, it just does not know it yet.

Thousands of trade journals and periodicals are available online via the proquest DB.

http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=collection_db_subscription

Get your wife a kindle or e-book reader.

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[datamuse]

Have they offered any reasons for why they’re discontinuing it?

(My guess would be that, like a lot of libraries, they’re getting fewer and fewer periodicals in print. Mine is academic and so what we subscribe to is a bit different, but last time I checked we were only getting about 10% of our periodicals in print anymore, and most of those are academic journals that for some reason aren’t online yet.)

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[Wes]

@Ken: My wife works in big machinery, so a e-reader or Kindle wold get nasty and demolished pretty quick. I thought about it though.

@datamuse: My wife said they said something about it not being well organized. I am guessing it’s a messy area, but it looks ok to me. They got a new branch manager and I think she wants to make some changes.

I know this might sound whiney but its sometimes the little things that we enjoy and see leave that we miss the most. So what it’s worth, thanks for the comments.

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[seaopgal]

We use the magazine exchange at the WS and Delridge branches all the time, so are sorry to hear of the plans to end it at WS. (BTW, it has nothing to do with the library’s periodical subscriptions. It’s just a shelf where people can bring recent magazines and leave them for others to take.) The shelf at the WS branch has been on the inside right side of the divider between the front door and the desk. The one at Delridge is also to the right immediately after entering the door. They’re usually quite neat, although sometimes the offerings are pretty esoteric (alumni magazines) or outdated. WS branch has a “comment/request” book on the front desk just after the checkout … it would be a good place to express interest in keeping the exchange (in addition to or in lieu of speaking to the staff). Thanks for the heads up, Wes.

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