Sometimes I look at my towering pile of books on my bedside table and simply sigh. Often these days I just don’t have the attention span or concentration a long book demands. I could continue doom scrolling on my phone, but I know that the combination of disconcerting news and blue light from my devices will make for a poor night’s sleep. If only there were a solution, something lightweight, portable, thoughtfully curated, and always fresh…
Like a magazine from the collection of the Summit Free Public Library! Did you know that we keep up to a year’s back issues of more than one hundred separate magazine titles and all of them are available for you to check out? You may have noticed the magazine shelves bordering the quiet study area, with each current issue displayed alphabetically and handy for in-library browsing. But I am always surprised by how many patrons never knew that by simply lifting the angled display shelf, they can reveal all of our back issues, ready and waiting to be checked out. No guilt over subscriptions you get and don’t have time to read, no need to find a place to store the issues you might want to read “someday.” Take an issue of an old favorite or try something new, no commitment required. You can check out up to fifteen issues for up to two weeks at a time.
A magazine is also a perfect way to spice up a routine. Planning a vacation but want to explore off the beaten path? In addition to trusted standbys like Condé Nast Traveler and Travel & Leisure, we also carry the new magazine Afar which bills itself as “inspiring, empowering, and enriching travelers who care.” From interior design to cooking and baking, we have titles to bring fresh colors and tastes to your world. And whether you want something breezy and general like People Magazine, or thoughtful longer pieces from one of my new favorites, Orion Magazine, we have something to meet your needs. This year we have been able to bring you titles from more countries and in more languages from around the world than ever before. From New Jersey Monthly to Paris Match and Du Zhe come see what we have to offer!
— Debbie Abrams, Reference Librarian