January 2025

Quick Facts

• Print periodical subscriptions vary by location. Periodical titles, location availability, and retention periods can be found in BiblioCommons. 
• Every location is responsible for regularly removing issues that are older than the retention period. They can be recycled at the branch or sent to OPS.

Procedure

Incoming periodicals are stamped or stickered as they arrive at the location. 

Periodicals that are older than the retention period can be recycled at the location or sent to the Operations Center, where they will either be recycled or used in outreach. Older issues should not be given to patrons at the branch, per the Retired Library Materials procedure.

WSYL periodicals older than the retention period might be used for outreach purposes. Check with WSYL staff at your location before discarding WSYL periodicals. Staff using any discarded materials for outreach purposes must follow the Use of discarded materials for library programs and services process.

Subscriptions are typically renewed annually. Regional librarians help coordinate this process, including gathering input from location staff and patrons regarding any changes to periodical subscriptions. Allison McClanahan is the Periodicals selector and maintains the MCL Print Periodicals Branch Subscriptions spreadsheet.

If an issue is missing or not delivered, see Periodicals and Newspapers: Lacking Issues and Delivery Problems. That page includes a link to a tracking sheet that branches can use to track their direct delivery titles.