Sébastien Marchalot was a librarian for twelve years. Noticing the absence of independent magazines and journals on library and media center shelves, he is now launching Bibliopresse, an alternative subscription agency designed to facilitate connections between librarians and independent print media. The project will launch on May 13, subject to the success of his crowdfunding campaign, which aims to fund the website's development and promote the offering as widely as possible.
Why are there so few independent media titles in libraries?
Sébastien Marchalot: There are several reasons. We often find titles from major publishers because sometimes it simply works well that way. There's no reason to change a model that already works well. Especially since readers have their habits and independent press isn't necessarily part of them. More broadly, the tendency to avoid information causes a decline in newspaper reading practices, particularly print newspapers; this phenomenon doesn't encourage libraries to offer magazines that are often little-known. Finally, I note a decrease in library budgets that leads to budget cuts. It happens that certain press titles disappear from library shelves. Due to lack of funding, choices have to be made.
« The success of a journal or magazine in a library is measured primarily by circulation statistics, that is, the number of times each issue was consulted during the year. What these figures miss is in-library reading. »
How do libraries choose to remove a title from their collection?
SM: The success of a journal or magazine in a library is measured primarily by borrowing statistics—that is, how many times each issue was consulted over the year. What these figures don't capture is in-library reading. I remember having to discontinue a journal because I noticed it never left the library building. Later, I was criticized because it turned out several patrons were actually reading that title, but on site, without borrowing it.
What procedure do libraries follow to acquire a journal or magazine?
SM: There are different approaches, depending on the size of the organization and the nature of its equipment. For subscription management, some use what are called "subscription aggregators" or subscription agencies that allow centralized ordering. In this case, libraries are in contact with only one service provider. From my experience working with these aggregators, it's a purely transactional relationship, especially since we sometimes lack information. We occasionally discover invoices because we aren't necessarily informed that a magazine or subscription price has increased. Other organizations contact each press title individually. Since there are so many titles, this system is much more complicated to manage.
Conversely, do publishers have the reflex to contact libraries?
SM: Often, it's very small teams who go the extra mile and don't have time to focus on this. There's certainly also a lack of understanding of the library sector. It operates in a very particular way. Independent publishers sometimes try, without success because they don't necessarily have the right contacts. It takes time and energy to call, follow up, and find the right people to talk to. Magazines already have a lot to do to make themselves known to the general public market. For their part, librarians don't always have the means to think in depth about what to offer their users. It would certainly be useful to set up more mediation: organize activities and invite specialists in the titles in question. For example, illustrators. But the key is time.
On your end, what drove you to create Bibliopresse and to focus on distributing independent press titles in libraries and media centers?
SM: I found this coldness and mutual lack of understanding quite frustrating. Bibliopresse is the idea of a subscription agency with the commitment to maintain a human connection between independent press publishers and libraries. I'm aware that the project I'm leading is a niche project. It's a dual commitment to independent print media and to libraries. The goal is to guarantee free access to independent press titles, because not everyone necessarily has the means to obtain them. Libraries are precisely free spaces for information. I also believe that major media groups don't need me, whereas independent press could truly benefit from being highlighted in public spaces. The idea is also to shake up readers' habits and participate in renewing library offerings to break away from the beaten path and showcase initiatives developed outside major media groups.
« When the shelves are full, magazines are destroyed or recycled. Sometimes libraries work with organizations to avoid this. But what's great about magazines is that they don't have an expiration date. They can even be shelved alongside books. »
Where does this attachment to independent media come from?
SM: It came about gradually. I worked in libraries and media centers for twelve years. In recent years, I held various positions that allowed me to manage magazine subscriptions used by libraries. I tried to offer magazines that readers would enjoy, but I realized the same topics kept coming back year after year, with repetitive, predictable themes. As a reader myself, I wasn't really getting what I wanted anymore between the controversies and the often excessive, anxiety-inducing information. Overall, trust has been a bit damaged too. My interest in independent media grew during COVID because I had a new need for information. I discovered a whole world – teams, independent individuals doing massive work on political topics, social issues, or leisure and sports. I realized I also shared their environmental values: not overproducing, not printing in excessive quantities, not overdoing packaging. A real reflection on carbon impact and sustainability, in short. In libraries, we have kiosks with comfortable spaces where people can read newspapers and magazines. When the racks are full, magazines are destroyed or recycled. Sometimes libraries work with associations to prevent that. But what's good about magazines is that they don't have an expiration date. They can even be added to the book shelves. A feminist magazine could perfectly well be placed on a dedicated shelf. You can keep them alive over time.
How do you select the news outlets in your catalog?
SM: I looked into, via the monthly publication L'Âge de faire, the Fund for a Free Press, and the organization Un Bout des Médias to see what independent media outlets existed. I made sure they weren't part of large media groups, had no shareholding, and carried as little advertising as possible. I want the economic model to depend on readers. When I started my research work, I was very surprised by the number of independent print media titles. I contacted about a hundred of them—some have surely slipped under the radar. I find that very reassuring, even though it must be complicated for them to survive against large groups. My goal is to make them more visible. I also want to ensure a diversity of topics and target audiences so the catalog is complementary and we avoid internal competition.
Independent print media can sometimes have a very elitist and Parisian image. Does that worry you?
SM: Not because I have the impression that this image is more linked to media in general. When reading major national newspapers, you often sense this very Parisian perspective on how information is covered. It creates a disconnect between what the papers tell us and people's actual reality. But when I started this research work asking which publications could be included in Bibliopresse, I found that independent media outlets aren't only found in the Paris region. Often, you find a genuine desire to put territories and local initiatives at the heart of news coverage. L'Âge de faire publishes a map of independent media in France every year: looking at it, you realize they're everywhere, with great diversity in formats and topics. This really shows the commitment of publishers to try to do journalism differently, despite all the difficulties that entails: paper costs, overhead, etc. There's a whole philosophy and passion for information, for telling society as it really is, and for showing that territories are dynamic and deserve our attention.
« We could imagine media outlets setting up in residencies, in pop-up shops. Publishers could take turns running a kind of newsstand… »
More and more independent media outlets are partnering with venues to make themselves accessible in cafés, community centers, and on street walls. After libraries, what could be the next steps?
SM: We can draw inspiration from what's happening abroad. There are initiatives in Italy where independent media are reviving newsstands, with genuine interest from younger generations. I do believe there's still a real appetite for print in France. Perhaps we really do need to break the mold, to organize events in cities. We could imagine media outlets setting up as residencies in places, in pop-up stores. Publishers could take turns running a kind of newsstand… Anything is possible. Of course, it requires time, money, and a network. But I think it's crucial to put media back at the heart of public spaces. Faced with media concentration, it's all the more necessary to raise awareness of these outlets, to show that they're trustworthy sources for reporting on ecology, social issues, and so on. Media literacy is also essential: younger generations have the will to drive change. If we show them that there is an alternative press at the media level, I think they'll be able to find themselves in it and in turn promote this way of staying informed.
To go further
- A new offering from Marseille-based media outlet Marsactu aims to make website content accessible in various locations, including cafés and community centers. By materializing its offering, this independent media outlet hopes to reach new audiences, some of whom are underserved by news, while reducing its dependence on digital platforms.
- Across the Atlantic, Albany's public library has become a hub for exchanges and meetings with local journalists.
- Collages and digital campaigns—media are inventing new ways to invest public space. Here are a few examples from Brut, Usbek & Rica and Merci Simone that might inspire you.
- To stay connected with their audiences, media outlets are multiplying formats that integrate citizens. A look at what Reporters Without Borders, France Inter, Ouest-France and Centre-France are doing.
- A few tips and case studies for launching and growing your media in the age of ecological urgency, with examples from Vert, Climax and Les Others.
