Sports Illustrated to "withhold" Swimsuit Issue from all schools and libraries

[villager]

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6422612.html


Sports Illustrated Withholds Swimsuit Issue from Libraries, Schools


In an unannounced policy change that already has librarians fuming, Sports
Illustrated (SI) decided this year to withhold copies of its risque annual
swimsuit issue from classrooms and libraries. SI spokesman Rick McCabe
acknowledged to LJ that publisher TIME, Inc., neither offered to let
libraries opt out of receiving the issue nor announced it beforehand. Though
reader mail doesn't indicate that the issue is any racier than before,
McCabe gave this explanation: "Over the course of time, we've received
feedback from some of those institutions saying it wouldn't be an acceptable
thing for them to have or to share with their constituents, and the decision
was made that this was one way to hopefully alleviate that issue."

Nor was the publisher able to differentiate among academic libraries, public
libraries, and school libraries. "It's done as a block," McCabe said. Those
institutions that didn't receive an issue can request it either through a
toll-free customer-service number or the web site, he said; already some
have done so through their serials vendor. While libraries of all types have
suffered from the "Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue disappearance syndrome"
and thus kept the issue behind the desk, that doesn't mean librarians wanted
SI to stop sending it. Writing on the SERIALST electronic discussion list,
Lynne Weaver of Randolph-Macon Woman's College reported that her customer
service representative told her that the publisher decided it was
inappropriate to send to "institutions." She observed, "It seems to me that
if one has a subscription to a title, all issues for that subscription
period should be sent. It is up to the recipient to decide what to do with
the issue once it is received."

[DrDan]

1. got to make room for Time, Newsweek and the rest of the

media and their war coverage . . .

[JohnnyLib2]

2. Whoa, gotta got buy a couple--

the value just went up, to say nothing of the interest.

[LibDemAlways]

3. It seems to me if a library or school is paying for a

full subscription, they should receive every issue. Let the librarians or school officials decide what to do with the swimsuit edition. Chances are it would mysteriously disappear almost immediately from most magazine racks - no pun intended.

Kind of hypocritical for SI to publish that material and then deny it to paid subscribers.

[LostinVA]

6. This is a HUGE scandal in the library world

Seriously. All of the lis groups are buzzing, and so is the ALA.

SI made a huge mistake. Especially since they didn't tell schools and libraries they would be doing this.

[villager]

7. it should be. Allowing small populations to dictate magazine

distribution for a whole nation...

[marshall]

8. Yes, I am a librarian

Time Inc. does not know librarians or the ALA if they think this is not going to go over like a lead balloon. Yesterday the list serves were crackling with discussion about this. The few librarians who were defending Time Inc. were told not to put the issue on their rack if their communities were offended by it. The rest of us who pay a full subscription do not want their censorship and/or money saving racket shoved down our throats.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. Snort! Fourth Grade boys will always have their National Geographics . . . n/t

[Ghost Dog]

9. Oh S.., F.., J.., Oh whatever humor is aloud, for cryin' out loud,

You jst took me straight back in time to the late nineteen-fifties, more-or-less. :P

[tanyev]

5. Why, that would make a lot more copies available for sale, wouldn't it?

Double dipping. $$$$$$$$$$$

[acmavm]

10. From libraries? That is not right.

[VegasWolf]

11. What a joke!! Have the Christians completely taken over the country??? nt

[FormerDittoHead]

12. Why not have Playboy in the schools as well?

It's not Playboy? They're not nude? They're only bathing suits? BUZZZzzz! WRONG!

If you were in public, wearing only body paint and NOTHING ELSE, you'd be ARRESTED, so don't all act so offended like we're only talking about bathing suits...



I'm not a prude, but it's disingenuous to suggest they're just posing in bathing suits.

[villager]

15. it's not just schools, it's public libraries as well...

and yes, public libraries should have Playboy, too -- and people (of age!) can come up to the counter and ask for their copy to peruse.

for the articles, of course.

[FormerDittoHead]

20. Sure. I was just talking about school libraries; nothing else... n/t

[Frank Cannon]

21. The public library I worked in 30 years ago had Playboy

going back decades. As did the many colleges I attended. And they had every issue of SI, as well.

And yes, if you were really interested in the "articles", you always had to present of-age ID at the reference desk. But the issues were there if you needed them.

This is just absurd. If this is really what our great country has come to, then the crazy fundamentalist terrorists have won.

[drm604]

26. And yet you post it on a public forum. n/t

[FormerDittoHead]

30. Try again. I found it on a "public" website (link). FYI, the internet is not school library.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/swimsuit/collection/bodypainting/

And if you're thinking DU is rated "G", I don't fucking think so.

[Dr Fate]

27. Well, if grapically violent images are available, what's wrong w/ nude females?

I am sure students can find plenty of photos of war wounded, holocaust & images of Hiroshima, etc.

If students can see those images, then why not female anatomy?

Why is it okay for students to see a bullet in someone's chest, but not bare breasts?

[PassingFair]

38. Why stop with females? nt

I agree with the decision for schools.

The library thing is CRAZY.

:crazy:

[Vidar]

13. This should blow up in Times' face nicely, if the librarians are opposed.

[marshall]

17. I just sent a sharp rebuke to the publisher

I said if it is so egrigious that it can't be offered to libraries (all of which have presumbably paid a full subscription and expect to receive all published issues) then perhaps the issue should be printed by Playboy, Penthouse, or Hustler.

The general idea amongst librarians is that this is not about censorship but is about saving money and having more issues available to sell to individuals.

[LibDemAlways]

23. I think you're onto something there. Since it is such a

huge seller for SI and the content is borderline "adult" perhaps it should be published under a different name like "Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition 2008" - and offered only to subscribers who pay for the regular subscription plus a special premium for the adult content swimsuit issue.

My 13 year old daughter couldn't wait to see it this year because it featured photos of her favorite band posing with one of the models. Actually hanging all over the model would have been a more apt description. One of the guys in the band - age 20 - has his hand practically on her crotch in one pic and is holding up her leg in such a way that her rear end is hanging out in another. Rather questionable stuff for a mass market magazine.

Still, as it stands right now SI has no business determining which subscribers will get the issue. They all paid for it. They should all receive it.

[0rganism]

14. maybe they could sell it in a brown wrapper at adult bookstores?

Hell, with a little planning, they wouldn't have to use swimsuits at all. I say cut the crap and dispense with those tiny $5000 pieces of cockteasing fabric.

[sarcasmo]

16. I had my issue stolen three years ago and canceled my subscription.

I was told that is one of the #1 stolen magazines from the U.S.P.S.

[MilesColtrane]

18. Somebody should inform SI that it is not a medical issue.

14 year old boys will not go blind masturbating to Beyonce's booty.

[HuffleClaw]

19. FREE PUBLICITY !!! give us some FREE PUBLICITY !!!!

what a cheap stunt.

[onenote]

22. sounds dumb, but it did raise the following question --

Do libraries have their own special subscription terms for periodicals like SI, or do they get the same rates and terms as any other subscriber?

[nealmhughes]

28. That depends on your institutional subscription, which are waay higher than individual, by the way.

At least for journals, I don't know about popular magazines. They probably jack it up for institutions also... Right now the outrage is the huge hike in Springer journals -- University of Alabama threatened to form a coalition to force them to either lower their sub rates or else they would drop them all! A huge number of "lesser" academic journals were dropped for this very reason at the turn of the new century there.
I really don't know why -- it isn't as if things are hand set and composited any longer except at art handpresses! The price of printed matter continues to rise while the durability of the item decreases...disgusting turn of events. One can take an incunabulum and see whitest paper imaginable with ratty leather and wonderful linen stitching still solid, but a book from 1970 is already falling apart.
I doubt that this is a Xian right issue, they are too busy with Chris Carpenter and S.E. Hinton and Harry Potter and Maya Angelou to worry about mere magazines. It is more likely a publicity stunt, as many have noted. Unless Wildmon or some other blowhard has a secret letter writing campaign out to threaten the publishers. Who knows, but I can 99.44% guarantee you no MLIS librarian is behind this. School media specialists, I can't speak for.

[entanglement]

29. Springer is infamous for its high priced books as well

Really hurts the academic research community.

[gratefultobelib]

24. Just my opinion, but the swimsuit issue is absolutely scuzzy. "What women will be wearing on

the beaches this summer," my ass. (pun intended)

[Dr Fate]

25. Sure- but the violent Boxing & Football issues stay. Cant show those "dirty parts" can we?

n/t

[Turbineguy]

31. They already seem to withhold it

from all the Doctors and Dentist Offices I go to.

But when I was in a cancer specialist's waiting room I could read the classifieds and check on the graves for sale!

[tammywammy]

33. Do they withhold it

Or do the doctor/dentist just not put that one out?

[Turbineguy]

34. I really have no idea

I just never see them that's all.

[tammywammy]

36. I think they probably just don't put it out

I'm sure someone from the office just keeps it. :)

[On the Road]

32. Sounds Like Breach of Contract

in an attempt to raise profits. Why pay if you can see it for free? Now some of the people looking for the issue in the library will go to the 7-11 and buy a copy.

[WindRavenX]

35. Thank god. We all know children cannot be exposed to the evils of the female body

Thank goodness someone is thinking of the children :eyes: :eyes:

This country's puritan roots have a way of rearing its ugly, repressive head now and then...

[stonebone]

37. This would be funny if it weren't so pathetic