Disheartening

There are roughly 9 dozen “lifestyle / gossip / fashion” magazines in our local library, and precisely one art magazine and one history magazine – and not even one of the better art magazines, one that is a glorified art supply advertisement.  Oh, and I think I spotted 2 science-related magazines.

I’m not saying don’t include Lucky, More, Cosmo, Vogue, Elle, Glamour, Self, People, Vanity Fair, GQ, O, Rachel Ray, Good Housekeeping, House Beautiful, Better Homes & Gardens, Teen People, Seventeen, Young Miss, Esquire. And I’m not saying I don’t while away hours in my doctor’s and hairdresser’s waiting rooms glancing at People. But for chrissakes, can we balance it out with a little substance in a public library?

I’m sure the counter argument is, we give ‘em what they want. But there’s a bit of the self-fulfilling prophecy that may be at work. Sometimes folks may not know what else they want unless they get a chance to be exposed to it. Let’s reach a little higher here, people. Let’s give the reading public the benefit of the doubt. Let’s throw “Scientific American Mind” and “Mother Jones” and “Brain, Child” and “Art in America” and “Bust” and “Bitch” and “Nature” and “Skeptic” and “Paste” (do they even make “Paste” anymore?) alongside a few of these others.  How about something with, heaven forbid, GLB content?

And yes, I have asked. I think the next step is I may buy a few gift subscriptions for a year for the library and hope people read them and they decide to renew them.