Have you ever sat waiting for a delayed airline flight and had nothing to read? Or you are sitting waiting for your car to be repaired and found that the only reading material available in the waiting room is a National Geographic magazine from 1982? Worse yet, you’re waiting in the dentist’s office and see the perfect recipe for a dreamy double chocolate cheesecake to take to dinner at your in-laws only to find the page with the ingredients and directions torn out? These disappointing scenarios could easily been avoided with a trip to your local library.

Lakewood Public Library carries an extensive collection of magazine periodicals to check out with your library card. All magazines circulate for two weeks and are also renewable. The adult magazine collection can be found in the New Books and Magazines room on the first floor of the Main library. The magazines are classified and shelved by subject headings such as Opinion, Leisure, Body and Mind, Home and Culture. These periodicals span a wide variety of subjects ranging from business and politics, to fashion, entertainment, health and travel. With over 480 titles in the adult and juvenile collections, there is bound to be something that suits every taste or interest. The Madison Branch, though smaller in size, also carries an impressive selection of magazine titles for its visitors.

Although the library obtains the majority of its magazine subscriptions from Ebsco Subscription Services, the collection also continues to expand through patron donations, as well as weekly trips to area retailers to supplement our collection with special issues and additional titles. So how does one go about getting that chocolate cheesecake recipe you saw in the magazine at the dentist’s office? It’s easy. The library usually carries and circulates at least six months worth of its subscription titles, after which the magazines are cancelled and given to the Friends of Lakewood Public Library for its book sales. Patrons may place holds on a particular issue of a magazine that they seek by filling out a request form at the circulation desk. Once the issue becomes available the patron is notified by mail. Patrons may also place subscription requests for titles the library does not subscribe to and every effort will be made to fulfill the patron’s request.

So the next time you’re planning a trip, be it cross country or to the pediatrician’s office, need the perfect recipe for your next holiday party, want to learn how to maximize the closet space in your new tiny Lakewood apartment, or catch up on the latest news about your favorite presidential candidate, stop at the library. Pick up a magazine. You won’t regret it. You’re sure to find the information you seek or something to peak your interest within its diverse collection.