Hi Mildred,
Our library doesn't have space for all our current print periodicals, and as you suggest, we select titles with a purpose in mind. We only have space for the latest issue of about 90 titles, plus newspapers and trade papers (such as Advertising Age). Our faculty told us that they definitely want more than just popular magazines in this area. Our strategy is to use the reading lounge as a place for current information and popular magazines, interdisciplinary awareness, and for young college students, provide an introduction to core journals of different academic disciplines. I want to keep content fresh, so I try to limit choices to periodicals that publish at least monthly. As someone else also pointed out, I make sure to include periodicals with rich photography or varied content good for browsing.

Because we are converting a good number of subscriptions to online only, we are also looking at creating a virtual reading room. I am trying to mimic the browsable nature of covers in the reading room by including article titles rather than just publication titles. This project is only in the beginning stages, and we are still picking the software that will best support the idea. I expect the idea will continue to evolve as we put things into practice. Good luck!
Cordially, Penny Lochner

_____________________________
Penny Lochner
Head of Collection Resource Management
Trexler Library
Muhlenberg College
2400 W. Chew Street
Allentown, PA 18104-5564
USA
email: plochner@muhlenberg.edu
voice: 484-664-3561
fax: 484-664-3511

>>> Mildred Merz <merz@OAKLAND.EDU> 10/28/2008 5:26 PM >>>
Our library is relinquishing our large "current journals" reading room for a
much smaller area.  Our "current journals" room now contains all of the
recent issues of newspapers and journals/magazines that we subscribe to in
print.  That number, of course, is ever shrinking.

In anticipating our smaller space, we have started re-thinking what the
purpose of the "current journals" area should be in the future.  We are
thinking that instead of just being what we get in print that it should be a
more carefully chosen group of journals/newspapers.  Perhaps the titles in
"current journals" should be the core or essential titles, AND/OR perhaps
they should be the more popular/readable titles that students and faculty
would enjoy having in print.  We have noticed at least two libraries that
have created what they call "virtual reading rooms."   Perhaps the physical
area could be the popular/fun to read titles plus the very important
interdisciplinary titles (like Nature and Science).  The "virtual reading
room" could be the core/essential titles.

Has any other library dealt with this issue?  What should be in a journals
reading room?  Millie Merz

--
Mildred H. Merz
Associate Professor
Kresge Library
Oakland University
Rochester, MI 48309-4484
Phone: 248-370-2457; Fax: 248-370-2474
E-mail: merz@oakland.edu