Game Informer Magazine

13. Game Informer Magazine

Type: Magazine Subscription
Title: Game Informer Magazine
Link: http://www.gameinformer.com/
Publisher: GameStop Corporation
Ages: 14 and up

Summary: This magazine is one of the nations most popular magazine.  It features articles, news, strategy and review with games for computers and various consoles. It's total circulation is about 7.6 million, making it the 3rd largest magazine in the United States.

Critical Evaluation: Considering it is the 3rd largest magazine in the U.S., there are readers out there who are interested in this content.  Since teenagers love playing games, in various formats, the library should subscribe to this very popular magazine in order to get teenagers to visit the library.  They have reviews of games on these consoles: Playstation 4, XBox One, PC, Wii U, 3DS and Vita.

What also makes this magazine popular is the increase use of celebrities in video games, the increase of the quality of storytelling, and the popularity of older adults playing video games for leisure.  Game Informer is the main stay of gamers, and should be bought because of the review of games, opinion of fellow gamers, and the look at the newest upcoming games.

Challenge Issues:

• Young adults should not be reading about games. They should be reading literature.

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Reading about something teenagers are interested will keep them coming back to the library.
• Be familiar with the themes in the material and how they relate to young adults today.
• Stay calm and remember to not be personally offended by their comments or concerns.
• Libraries provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues.  Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
• Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
• LISTEN to what they have to say and reiterate our freedom to read and be without censorship.
• All material for young adults are under the review of the branch manager and even further up, the Library Director and even City Council members.

Rolling Stone Magazine

48. Rolling Stone Magazine

Type: Magazine Review

Title: Rolling Stone

Publisher: Jann Wenner
Link: http://www.rollingstone.com
ISSN: 0035-791X
Genre: Music

Reader's Annotation: Politics and Music. They go hand in hand.

Summary: Rolling Stone magazine is a bi-monthly magazine that focuses on all types of popular music, politics, and popular culture.

Critical Evaluation: This magazine, which was first published in 1971, was once considered a very popular and controversial magazine because of its' ideals and content. This adult magazine can appeal to young adults because of its' focus on popular artists today. Not only will they be able to read about their favorite music artist, but learn about financial and banking issues, and political issues that are important today.

However, now, the magazine is considered by many to be not as influential as it once did. With the increase in technology and instant news articles, this magazine had to change it's content to good story pieces to try and keep people interested. At the same time the magazine "has resumed its traditional mix of content, including in-depth political stories, financial and banking issues" (Wikipedia Rolling Stone). It's circulation has increased because of this change and mix of content in the magazine.

Challenge Issues:

• Magazine promotes the use of drugs and romanticizes it
• Students should aspire to become educated adults and not musicians.
• The library should not support this lifestyle.

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Be familiar with the themes in the material and how they relate to young adults today.
• Stay calm and remember to not be personally offended by their comments or concerns.
• Libraries provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues.  Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
• Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
• LISTEN to what they have to say and reiterate our freedom to read and be without censorship.
• All material for young adults are under the review of the branch manager and even further up, the Library Director and even City Council members.  

Thrasher Magazine

47.  Thrasher Magazine

Type: Magazine
Title: Thrasher Magazine
Publisher: High Speed Productions
Ages: 14 and up

Summary: This magazine subscription is a monthly subscription that deals with everything skateboarding: the culture, the arts, the clothing, the music, and other information.  The magazine itself is about 75 pages long and has a lot of pictures of skateboarders, along with advertising of different products.  It is geared towards teenagers, mostly males.

Critical Evaluation: The magazine is broken up to 12 monthly issues, with an average subscription price of $17.95, but cheaper for libraries.  Although people may be against the whole idea of skateboarding in general, this magazine content does not promote the act of 'tagging' but uses skateboarding as a form of expression, and a type of physical art.  

This particular skateboarding magazine is very popular in the United States and the sport itself is popular among teenagers around the world.  Other public libraries have subscribed to this magazine, in an attempt to buy materials that teenagers would check-out.  This magazine has various articles about the sport, famous skateboarders, and events where people can skateboard across the country. What's popular in this magazine is the advertisement of skateboard videos, which are becoming more and more popular. These videos showcase different skaters and their tricks.  

Challenge Issues:

• Skateboarding promotes illegal activities.
• Fantasizes the act of trespassing and damaging public property.
• Libraries should not promote this type of lifestyle for teens.

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• The library should subscribe to magazine content that is popular among teenagers.
• Be familiar with the themes in the material and how they relate to young adults today.
• Stay calm and remember to not be personally offended by their comments or concerns.
• Libraries provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues.  Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
• Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
• LISTEN to what they have to say and reiterate our freedom to read and be without censorship.
• All material for young adults are under the review of the branch manager and even further up, the Library Director and even City Council members.  

Sports Illustrated Review

30. Sports Illustrated Magazine

Type: Magazine Review
Title: Sports Illustrated
Link: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/
Ages: 16 and up
Genre: Sports

Reader's Annotation: Get all of your sports news from this website.

Summary: This magazine features all of the latest sports news and scores. This weekly magazines covers everything from football, baseball, basketball, professional, and college levels of sports.  This is the most popular sports magazine in American by far.

Critical Evaluation: Although ESPN.com is the #1 site for sports by far, Sports Illustrated Magazine  features just as much information as ESPN.  This magazine features good stories about various athletes and the type of experiences they have playing professionally.  Very informative.

Most libraries already subscribe to this magazine, but I'm making the case for teenagers to read this one over the kids one. For instance, this portion is for adults, but still has all of the material and content that teenagers are interested in.  Considering that many teenagers use sports as their outlet in life, having materials that they can relate to and aspire for is positive for the library.  

Challenge Issues:

• Teenagers should be concentrated in academic work and not sports.
• This magazine does not cater to teenagers, but adults with adult issues.

Challenge Defense Ideas:

• Be familiar with the themes in the material and how they relate to young adults today.
• Stay calm and remember to not be personally offended by their comments or concerns.
• Libraries provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues.  Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
• Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
• LISTEN to what they have to say and reiterate our freedom to read and be without censorship.
• All material for young adults are under the review of the branch manager and even further up, the Library Director and even City Council members.

Teen Vogue Magazine Review

27. Teen Vogue Magazine

Type: Magazine Review
Title: Teen Vogue
Publisher: Conde Nast
Ages: 14 and up

Reader's Annotation: The latest trends in the fashion industry.

Summary: This magazine features topics about fashion, health, beauty and celebrities.   It's a monthly magazine that focuses on the teenage version of this adult magazine.  

Critical Evaluation: Not only do teenage girls receive fashion tips from this magazine, they also have content on health, exercise, and relationships such as dating advice. Just like other teenage magazines, their content has seen a mix of topics to try and increase their readership.

This is actually a small-sized magazine that appeals to teenagers because of the image of fashion and celebrities that they admire.  Even though they have "Beauty Awards" for their products, as an example of an article, this type of idolization of 'beauty' can be bad for teenage girls, because it can make them self-conscious about their own body.  However, there are articles about how to use different make-up products to create your own look that you may be comfortable with.

Challenge Issues:

• Young Adults should not be reading magazines about fashion.

Challenge Ideas:

• Be familiar with the themes in the material and how they relate to young adults today.
• Stay calm and remember to not be personally offended by their comments or concerns.
• Libraries provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues.  Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
• Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
• LISTEN to what they have to say and reiterate our freedom to read and be without censorship.
• All material for young adults are under the review of the branch manager and even further up, the Library Director and even City Council members.