The Library World Volume 7 Issue 10

The next question to be considered is the capability of a library to issue a magazine. That many libraries will be unable to do so goes without saying. It is obvious that a library so cramped by want of funds as to be unable to keep its stock up to date or pay its librarian a respectable salary, is most decidedly incapable of issuing and supporting a magazine. It may be taken as a general rule that no library with an annual income of less than £1,000 should attempt it. Libraries having incomes below this amount can do much good work through the medium of the local press, but into this side of the matter it will be unnecessary to enter. Definite factors upon which to work are always valuable, and we find that 2 per cent. of the total income is the average amount expended by municipal Public Libraries publishing magazines of the required standard. A great part of this expenditure is, of course, recovered, but of that later. In working out this percentage, attention has been given to the book income and number of additions as well as to total income, and the result will be useful as giving an idea of likely expenditure without the need of laborious calculation.