Periodicals

Originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News, November 2013; written by Lisa Pearson.

If you ever have a few minutes to kill, and you want a glimmer of how amazingly diverse people’s interests can be, browse the magazine subscriptions available on a major online retail website (you know the one I mean). You can receive monthly issues devoted to coon & tree dog enthusiasts, oriental carpets, postcard collecting, Land Rovers or living on Cape Cod, just to name a few possibilities.

The public library is not immune to this market segmentation, but we have tried to select those unique magazine titles that might be of particular interest here in Ketchikan. Since you can check out all but the most current issue, you can spend hours pouring over the articles in these various journals.

The library subscribes to quite a few magazines geared to working and playing on the water. “Professional Fisherman”, “Pacific Fishing”, “National Fisherman”, “Maritime Reporter” and “Marine News” are professional titles. They cover industry news, government policies, job development and employment opportunities. If you’re looking to buy a fishing boat, have yours repaired at a dry-dock, or looking for work on a merchant ship, these magazines are a good resource.

“Good Old Boat”, “The Practical Sailor”, “48° North”, and “WoodenBoat” are for those of you who are out on the water strictly for enjoyment. Product reviews, travel suggestions, repair and maintenance advice fill the pages - there are even recipe ideas for the galley. Since these journals have a ‘Letters to the Editor’ section, you can also hear from other mariners. One of my favorite sections in “WoodenBoat” is the Book Reviews column, since I get many purchase ideas for the library collection from these reviews. If you have a boater in your life, think of this as a trove of gift ideas.

Kayakers needn’t feel left out; “Sea Kayaker” and “Canoe and Kayak” are nice, glossy magazines full of beautiful pictures and reviews of the latest trends in paddles, kayak design and camping gear. The really fun items, however, are the travel articles about paddling around exotic locations like Tierra del Fuego, the North Sea and Nova Scotia, along with lots of Alaskan paddles.

For those of you interested in sustainable living, we have such titles as “Backwoods Home”, “Organic Gardening”, “Mother Earth News”, and my favorite: “Gardens West”. This magazine is published in Vancouver, B.C. so the gardening advice is suitable for our climate here in Ketchikan. Most of the articles deal with landscaping and flower gardening, but there is information about vegetable gardening in cool, wet weather as well.

“Backyard poultry” should appeal to the many people around town who are raising their own chickens and ducks, either for eggs or meat. Topics include breed selection, disease prevention, incubating eggs, increasing egg production and controlling predators (although I don’t know if that includes bears). This magazine is a nice monthly supplement to the wide range of books we have on raising poultry and livestock.

In addition to these titles, we have magazines for paper crafters, electronics DIY, quilters, airplane pilots, vegetarians, and gun enthusiasts. And - just in time for the holiday season - we have over 100 individual Christmas craft and cooking magazines, full of ideas for decorating, gift giving, cookie baking and kids’ crafts. Why have back issues cluttering up your house? You can save money on magazine subscriptions and check out our selection here at the library.