This Year’s Model
We barely have room to write about all of our changes
By Brian Kenney, Editor-in-Chief -- School Library Journal, 9/1/2006
One of the many great things about SLJ’s readers is that they aren’t a quiet bunch. Within days of a new issue—or minutes, in the case of our weekly online newsletter, Extra Helping—we hear from you: a note of appreciation for publishing an article, information that adds to one of our features, or a message letting us know that, yes indeed, in your estimation, we’ve gotten something “all wrong.”
Readers also write because something has changed in the magazine, and they want to know why. And in ways big and small, there’s a lot that’s changing here at SLJ. A magazine is much like a library collection—to meet your patrons’ evolving needs, you have to continually update it, adding (the fun part) and weeding (the hard part). So here’s an overview of where we’re headed—and the answers to some of those “whys.”
What are readers’ top two areas of interest? According to our latest research, they’re reviews and information about collection development, along with articles about technology. In response, we’ve pumped up coverage in both areas. For starters, every issue now has at least one tech feature—and often two—that ranges from an examination of a hot issue, like cyberbullying, to a “how-to,” such as using RSS feeds. Our TechKnowledge section, meanwhile, has expanded to include The Buzz, which consists of short takes on new products, and Up Close, a quick look at an area undergoing rapid change (see the report on digital video, p. 24). This fall, we’ll be launching a series of podcasts on SLJ.com to help you get started with Web 2.0 tools like blogs and wikis.
As you know, digital content has moved far beyond traditional databases. So in July, we introduced Digital Resources, a monthly column that reviews the whole gamut of e-content and presents the best ways to use those resources for learning. (This November, look for a wrap-up of science resources. We’ll be cycling through a wide range of topics every two years.)
When it comes to helping you create great collections, we’ve added Remarkable Reads, a read-alike column, to each week’s Extra Helping. Our monthly Under Cover interviews highlight emerging authors, while our Under Cover video series on SLJ.com profiles the well known (and gives you some great free content to link to). In June, we launched gaming reviews to help you build your game collections. Focus On, our collection-development series, has expanded into a full-fledged feature—look for it as the last feature in every issue. One thing that isn’t changing is our authoritative book reviews, which continue to keep up with the times—witness our expanding graphic novels section and coverage of emerging publishers.
Censorship is a constant. In fact, it’s become both more virulent and complex. Starting with this month’s issue, First Amendment expert Pat Scales joins us (see Scales on Censorship, p. 31) to take on tough questions from readers. Pat’s column will alternate with the very popular Carrie on Copyright. During the past year, we’ve also added Teenage Riot, a column written by a feisty group of teen librarians with some strong ideas about how to improve young adult services. And we’ve added Consider the Source, a provocative column by iconoclast Marc Aronson, who offers equally strong positions on the future of nonfiction book publishing.
Another way that magazines resemble libraries is that, like you, we straddle a world that is part print, part electronic. You wonder what to buy in print, what to buy electronically, and how to link the two. As magazine editors, we similarly wonder what to publish in print, what to publish electronically, and how to link the two. Today, more than ever, the electronic world presents some great opportunities. I love the depth of our online interview with Kate DiCamillo, and I look forward to hearing tech guru Will Richardson discuss blogging and education in this fall’s podcast. After that, who knows where SLJ.com will take us?
Keep those e-mails coming.
Brian Kenney
Editor-in-Chief
