Libraries provide all of the magazines with none of the clutter

Every year of my adult life until about 8 years ago, I would receive a surprise letter in the mail announcing a renewal or new magazine subscription that had been taken out in my name. It was my mom.

She loved to gift our family members with magazine subscriptions. It was a thoughtful gift because she carefully chose titles that she knew we would enjoy. All of us had drastically different preferences. My dad would get National Geographic or a fishing magazine. I would get fitness or homemaking ones, while my sister and my mom both liked what my dad called “Porsche Face’s Life;” magazines about the lives of famous people.

While thoughtful, it did pose a problem — square footage. Stacks of back issues, unless re-purposed into coffee tables (which did not happen), took up valuable space. Eventually, I devised a way of keeping the advice and ideas from magazines without storing every issue. I continued to enjoy my ritual of cozying up in my comfy chair with hot mug of something and a dog at my feet while I flipped through the latest issue. Instead of adding it to the stack, though, I snipped out the quotes and articles that I wanted to keep and taped these snippets to the inside doors of kitchen and bathroom cabinets for easy reference. Articles were filed under topic of interest. That was back when I had more time than square footage. Now, I have neither. So, no more magazine subscriptions.

If you have the same problem, you may be interested to know that you can check out magazines from The Library. Sure, you can come here and sit in our comfy chairs by the fireplace and flip pages. But, you can also take them home (since you can’t have your hot mug of something and beloved pet in The Library). I learned from a friend recently that some people are not aware that they can check out magazines. So, I asked Molly Forsmann, The Library’s periodicals manager, what people should know about borrowing magazines from The Library. The first thing she told me was this:

“If it’s got a bar code on it, it can be checked out.”

That includes back issues. Where can you find those? The shelf that the magazine is displayed on actually flips up with the previous five issues stored underneath! Molly has a technical term for it; the “little liftie shelf.” More back issues, up to two years, are archived in magazine boxes a few shelves away in the same periodicals section located on the second floor on the northeast side of the building at the Sandpoint Library. The recent remodel and expansion allowed us to enlarge the collection and add a more homey reading area. Side note: while we hope you make yourself at home, please don’t put your shoes on the furniture. Our chairs probably get more traffic than the ones in your living room, so the wear and tear happens much faster. Thanks for that. Moving along…

Molly tells me that we have around 240 magazine titles in our collection, including the young adult and children’s titles at the Sandpoint and Clark Fork libraries. She emphasized the diversity of the collection several times.

“We have everything from hunting to cooking to crafting, to all sides of the political spectrum. The most popular are news, DIY, and home and architectural magazines.”

You can check out up to eight magazines at a time with a three-week check out period. It makes Molly happy to see people enjoying a magazine or reading the newspaper. Some patrons come in every day to read the newspaper in our cozy community space.

“People are quiet and respectful,” she said.

We have nine different newspapers to choose from. All of the current issues are affixed to “sticks” (more technical library jargon) to keep them organized, protected, and “hangable” (my word). She respectfully requests that people do not remove the papers from the sticks.

Some magazines, especially in the crafting genre, are transitioning out of print publication in favor of digital versions. Molly is hanging on to more of the back issues of those magazines for the die-hard flippers. For those of us who make use of both physical and digital magazines, many titles are available from RB Digital and Flipster in the Digital Library at www.ebonnerlibrary.org. It’s fun to flip virtual pages of a magazine on your phone, iPad, or other device. Digital magazines are great for traveling. Get a quick tutorial on using them from Niche Academy (in the Digital Library or click the green Tutorials tab on the right side of our website’s home page).

Look for an RB Digital or Flipster sticker on the cover of our physical magazines to alert you to digital versions of that title. You can search for your favorites or explore new ones by searching directly from RB Digital. Flipster has a limited selection of titles – ones that we could not get from RB Digital, such as “Consumer Reports” and a few others.

Since my mom passed away eight years ago, I miss those surprise subscription letters. But, sometimes when I peruse the magazines at The Library, I pick up the current issue of “Porsche Faces Life” and smile. I still love to flip through magazines with my dog at my feet, but now I don’t have to store stacks of past issues or spend time snipping out the best parts. In fact, Molly discourages doing that.

The following classes and events take place at the Sandpoint Library, 1407 Cedar Street, unless otherwise noted.

East Bonner County Library District schedule

- Fridays — Explore virtual reality (reserve sessions), 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; reserve a 15-minute session in the VR room at ebonnerlibrary.org/Events on the event listing. Information: Contact the Tech Desk, 208-263-6930, ext.1251.

- Fridays — M.A.C. (Manga/Anime Club) for Teens, 3-5 p.m., Room 102. Celebrate fandom at The Library. Read, write, and watch your favorite manga and anime with other enthusiasts. Information, 208-263-6930, ext. 1245; or kimber@ebonnerlibrary.org.

- Saturday, Feb. 1 — Sandpoint Friends of the Library book sale, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Support your library while you support your book, movie, and music habits.

- Saturdays — Explore virtual reality (reserve sessions), 2-4 p.m.; reserve a 15-minute session in the VR room at ebonnerlibrary.org/Events on the event listing. Information: Contact the Tech Desk 208-263-6930, ext.1251.

- Monday, Jan. 27 — Open play, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., in Karen’s Room at the East Bonner County Library District’s Sandpiont branch, 1407 Cedar St. Drop in and play with Legos and other building toys. Younger children should have a parent present. Information: 208-263-6930, ext. 1211; or suzanne@ebonnerlibrary.org.

- Tuesdays — Mother Goose, 10 a.m., in Karen’s Room. Stories and singing for babies and toddlers 0-3 years old and their caregivers with stay and play until 10:40 a.m. Information: 208-263-6930, ext. 1211; or suzanne@ebonnerlibrary.org.

- Tuesdays ­— Preschool Story Time, 11 a.m. in Karen’s Room. Stories and crafts for kids and their caregivers. Information: 208-263-6930, ext. 1211; or suzanne@ebonnerlibrary.org.

- Tuesdays — Explore virtual reality (drop-in sessions); 3-6 p.m., drop-in 15-minute sessions. First come, first served. All ages welcome. Under 18 must accompany parent consent form. Under 10 must be accompanied by parent/legal guardian. Information: Contact the Tech Desk, 208-263-6930, ext.1251.

- Tuesdays/Thursdays, Feb. 4-13 ­ Hat knitting for kids, 3:30 p.m., in Karen’s Room. Kids learn to knit and take the finished product home for free. Supplies provided. Information: 208-263-6930, ext. 1211.

- Tuesday, Feb. 4 — Library Book Club, 7-8 p.m. in the Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation Community Room A. This month we will discuss “How to Be a Patient” by Sana Goldberg, R.N., a registered nurse and public health advocate. A timely, accessible, and comprehensive handbook to navigating common medical situations. We will also distribute next month’s book, “Hillbilly Elegy” by J.D. Vance. a powerful account of growing up in a poor Rust Belt town that offers a broader, probing look at the struggles of America’s white working class. This is an adult book club, and selections may not be appropriate for those under the age of 18. If we have more participants than books, we will find a way to share or somehow accommodate participants. To receive the book, please contact the Information Desk at 208-263-6930.

- Wednesdays — Clark Fork Mother Goose, 10:30 a.m. at the Clark Fork branch library. Stories, rhymes, and music for toddlers and their caregivers followed by 20 minutes of play time. Information: 208-266-1321.

- Wednesdays — Storytime, 11:30 a.m. at the Clark Fork branch library. Stories, music, and crafts geared to ages 3-6. All welcome. Information: 208-266-1321.

- Wednesday, Feb. 5 — Snow globes, 2 p.m., Clark Fork branch library. Make your own snow globe to take home. Free. Geared to ages 8-14, all welcome. Information: 208-266-1321.

- Wednesdays — Teen Lounge Passive Pop-Up Programs, 4 p.m. in the Rotary Teen Lounge. Teen-driven art, engineering, robots, and science projects and workshops as space allows. Information: 208-263-6930, ext. 1245; or kimber@ebonnerlibrary.org.

- Wednesday, Feb. 5 — Clark Fork 3D printing community, 5 p.m., Clark Fork branch library. Drop in the first Wednesdays of the month if you’re interested in 3D printing. Collaborate with others or learn more from staff about 3D printing and design. A few computers will be provided or you may bring your own device. Open to all ages and skill levels. Information: 208-263-6930, ext. 1251.

- Thursday in February — Girls Who Code, 4-5 p.m. in the VR Room. In this 10-week program using immersive activities, you and your team will build a Girls Who Code project to solve a real-world problem. Girls Who Code Clubs are meant for girls to become part of a sisterhood of supportive peers and role models to join in the use of Computer Science to help change the world. For additional information on Girls Who Code, visit their website at girlswhocode.com.

- Saturday, Feb. 8 — American Heritage Wildlife Foundation presentation on predators, 2 p.m. at the Clark Fork branch library. Join the library for a free presentation by AHWF to learn about local predators. Free and open to all ages. Information: 208-266-1321.

- Saturday, Feb. 8 — SHS eSports at The Library, 1 p.m., in the Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation. Making eSports available to high school gamers by facilitating healthy competition on a varsity level in a comfortable environment is the mission of the HSEL. The Library is partnering with the SHS eSports team to further that mission. Information: kimber@ebonnerlibrary.org.

- Kids and Families Winter Reading Challenge — Register at ebonnerlibrary.beanstack.org for the second of three winter reading challenges. Our second challenge is a nationwide winter challenge sponsored by Beanstack (our online reading platform) and Penguin Random House. High participation from the community could earn the library a visit from kids’ author Max Brailler or other prizes from the publisher. In addition to helping the library compete nationally, kids will win free books and chances to win robots, while adults will earn chances to win free groceries. This challenge runs though Jan. 31. A third challenge will follow in February. Information: 208-263-6930, ext. 1211; or suzanne@ebonnerlibrary.org.

- Teen Winter Reading Challenge — Runs through Feb 29. Fun new format and great prizes. Visit ebonnerlibrary.beanstack.org for more information and to register. Information: 208-263-6930, ext. 1245; or kimber@ebonnerlibrary.org.

- Rotary Teen Lounge — Open to seventh-12th graders from any school/homeschool; Tuesdays-Thursdays, 2-6 p.m., and Fridays, 2-5 p.m. Information: kimber@ebonnerlibrary.org, or 208-263-6930, ext. 1245.

- StoryWalk — Pages from a children’s book are posted along a trail for a fun, family experience. Enjoy “Baking Day at Grandma’s,” by Anika Denise at Dover City Park and “Cat Knit,” by Jacob Grant at McNearney Park. Read, connect, and get outside at a StoryWalk, a partnership of The Library, Kaniksu Land Trust, city of Dover, and city of Ponderay. For more information, visit Facebook.com/BonnerStoryWalk.

Marcy Timblin is in charge of public relations, marketing & community development for the East Bonner County Library District. She can be reached at 208-208- 208-208-263-6930, ext. 1204.