Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Public library publishing teen magazine


Photograph showing a magazine for teens produced by the Toronto Public Library
As is my custom, whenever I venture into new territory, I like to visit libraries and take away any artifacts of my experience or trip to the library. In January 2014, I had the opportunity to visit Scarborough and took home a magazine for teens produced by Toronto Public Library. The magazine, Young Voices, showcases the literary work and visual art of youth aged 12 to 19 (highschoolers). In this post, I showcase this magazine, Young Voices, and give my opinions on it as well as espouse my views on libraries as publishers.

First of all, I must say that I was impressed with it. Definitely love the fact that a library is playing the role of publisher, by producing a magazine. Secondly, I love the idea of giving a space to unknown writers and artists to showcase their work. Further, by focusing on the youth, I believe that the magazine prepares these young ones to be the future authors, illustrators and contributors to tomorrow's literary and artistic works. From the publication itself, it is stated that teen students working Toronto-based writers and mentors played a part in the production of the magazine (Toronto Public Library, 2013).

My only fault with the magazine though was that it was not clear from the publication when it was started and how long it has been running. Currently, the website version of the publication seems to be up to 2011 (Toronto Public Library, 2014). One would have expected that a library produced magazine would have a volume and/or issue number. Apparently, the publication is an annual one, hence perhaps the librarians did not feel it was necessary. However, I still feel that publication information should have been provided so that one would not have to contact the library or make the suppositions that I am now making.

Nonetheless, I am hoping that those in the Caribbean region take note of this great initiative and embrace the role of the library as publisher. Even if libraries publish e-zines using free online platforms, they would in this regards continue to reinvent the institutions of libraries as places for a community of readers and writers (or storytellers).

References:

Toronto Public Library  (2013). Young voices 2013: Magazine of teen writing and visual art.
 
Toronto Public Library  (2014). Teens: Young voices 2014: Magazine of teen writing and visual art. [Website]. Retrieved from http://torontopubliclibrary.typepad.com/teens/young-voices-magazine.html

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