This is my first time to send a comment to the SERIALST.  I certainly
agree that from a public library perspective we should make every effort
to know what our patrons really want.  If these free magazines give you an
added way to know what to select then I think by all means continue to add
the free subscription to your collection with the possiblity of
subscribing to it if the public demand for it is high.

However, our problem with receiving the free magazines has been that we
already subscribe to most of the publications and it causes confusion and
costs staff time when they are received.  Our acquistions clerk
complained to EBSCO and they told her to send a letter requesting to have
the free magazines stopped which she did but we are still getting them.
What we are currently doing is giving the free magazines to our Outreach
Services Department and they give them to shut-ins, shelters, the book
mobile for low income areas, etc.

Anita Dawson
Serials Librarian
Tulsa City-County Library System
Tulsa, OK
adawson@pop.tulsalibrary.org