The Earlham Libraries maintain a collection of print periodicals on display because we believe that browsing periodicals benefits the College by:
- Helping to produce well-rounded liberal arts students who have a deep curiosity about a variety of topics
- Helping students answer the question, “Who am I?”, by both introducing them to different viewpoints in a variety of publications as well as providing materials that mirror their own communities so as to assist them in articulating their own sense of identity and belonging
- Providing a simultaneous presentation of a diverse range of ideas
- Offering a thoughtful break from intense academic work
Browsing Periodicals Collection Criteria
In a print browsing collection, the Libraries aim to include periodicals that:
- Are written for a general audience and meet standards of originality and quality of writing and thought
- Present a diversity of viewpoints
- Respond to student, faculty, and staff demand
- Draw people into the Libraries, or
- Have an overall artistic design/layout that benefits from being read in print—for example: short features and sidebar articles that get lost in online browsing, or has a print format that is integral to the magazine's overall design (e.g., glossy paper, two-page visual spreads, or it is a nonstandard size)
Popular, high interest magazines may be collected if they:
- Reflect journalistic quality
- Can be used in a course or have educational purpose
- Contribute to diversity of viewpoint, or
- Have been specifically requested by students, faculty, or at the discretion of librarians