Simply put, a magazine subscription agency exists for one reason and that is to make managing your library’s subscriptions easier.  We are in business to take the tasks associated with managing your periodical subscriptions and handle them for your library.  In order to actually make that happen, there are hundreds of details that have to be carried out with precision and accuracy.   The old saying “Be like a duck.  Stay calm on the surface but paddle like crazy underneath” comes to mind.  We want to be your “feet” and “paddle like crazy” for you, so you can “stay calm on the surface” and attend to others areas of business in your library.

I’ve put together a listing of 10 ways we help you and your library better manage your library’s magazine subscriptions.

1)  A Web Interface That’s Easy To Use

There is so much information associated with each magazine order.  First of all, there are the tens of thousands of magazine titles to choose from.  And with each title you have details like cost, frequency, ISSN, publisher details etc.  Then you have the collection of magazines that your library orders.  And you have order information and invoices and renewals.  We have designed a web interface that is modern, easy-t0-use, intuitive, detailed and gives you the information about your account and the titles available to you.  Thousands of details are at your fingertips!

2) Check-in System

One of the best ways to ensure you receive your magazines is by having a way to make sure you are receiving all of the issues you paid for.  We have a check-in system that allows you to manage the receipt of issues, claim on issues and it even alerts you when a title has not been received by its expected date.  This check-in system is part of the service we provide to libraries and does not carry an added cost.

3) Title Catalog

We want to provide the best and easiest to use catalog possible.  We have an online catalog listing of magazine titles gives you great insight into what each title is about.  This helps tremendously as you shop and as you are on your quest to discover new and exciting titles.  Publishers provide descriptions and covers for us to display.  Titles are also assigned categories.  And because our catalog pulls data directly from our database, pricing, availability and other details are always up-to-date.  Our catalog contains the titles you need for your library – national, international, print, electronic, local, newspaper, regional… you name it.  We are your one stop shop for subscriptions.

4) List of Top Titles For Your Library Type

As you may know, Rivistas Subscription Services focuses solely on public library and school library accounts.  This gives us the opportunity to hone in our skills on a couple of library types so we can offer services best suited to them.  One of these services is to provide list of the most popular magazine titles ordered by different library types.  We have top magazine list for public libraries, top magazine list for high school libraries, middle school and elementary libraries.  These list are available in the footer on each of our webpages for your convenience.

5) Helpful and Friendly Customer Service

While everything I’ve mentioned so far revolves around technology and online resources, we feel the best resource we can offer our customers is our time, energy, responses, attitude and heart.  We love libraries here at Rivistas Subscription Service and we love magazines too.  When you combine those two loves, you come up with a group of people who are dedicated to giving our best to the library world.  You’ll always receive a friendly response, a quick and timely response and you’ll find we do everything we can on the front end to prevent as many of the problems associated with magazines from even occurring.  But we both know they still happen – and when they do, we are here to help resolve the problems for you.  We are out to impress you with our service.

6) The Way We Order

One of the ways we are “paddling like crazy” for our customers is by the way we order.  As a magazine subscription agent, we prepay your order to each publisher.  This ensures timely attention, processing and delivery.  We place orders electronically whenever the publisher allows this and we process orders on a weekly basis.  Before orders go out, we verify pricing for efficiency and accuracy sake.  Being accurate during this portion of the cycle remedies so many of the typical problems associated with magazines orders.  All ordering details are available online.

7) The Way We Invoice

Our consolidated invoices list each of the titles you order, the requested start dates, the price, frequency and other details that will help you understand exactly what to expect with your order.   Invoices can be for one location, multiple locations, one account or a series of sub accounts.  We have flexibility in the way we can invoice to match the needs of your library and billing requirements.   We strive for perfection when it comes to invoicing!  Invoices can be mailed or emailed and are available online for easy review.

8) The Way We Handle Renewals

At Rivistas Subscription Services, one of our priorities is to be an environmentally friendly company.  This has long been an industry that is intensely paper heavy because of the amount of paper used in the printing of renewal forms, orders and invoices.  Renewal forms are sent to each customer by email in the form of a PDF.  Renewal forms are also available on our online system.  Customers also have the option to completing their renewal form online, easily making additions, deletions and changes online.  From there, renewals can be submitted online or downloaded by a new PDF or excel document for processing through required procurement processes.  And by all means, if you wish for your renewal to be printed and mailed to you, we can do that as well.  But the process is available to complete electronically with the use of zero paper.  We’re excited about this!

9) Quick Quotes

Whether you are a customer or a library looking into our subscription services, quotes for magazines are easy to obtain.  You can sign up for an account and generate your own quote or you can send us a list of the titles you are interested in and we’ll send a quote to you.  All quotes are available online and can easily be turned into an order.  You can even place your order online and immediately pay for your order with a credit card or P-Card. And of course, we can invoice to libraries as well.

10) Fast Responses

When you have company leadership who are obsessive about providing quick, speedy, accurate and friendly responses you end up with a company that is obsessive about providing quick, speedy, accurate and friendly responses.  Matter of fact, we confirm receipts of quotes, orders and even payments.  It’s only common courtesy if you ask me.

11) We Give You More Than You Expect

And number 11 out of 10, by nature and very intentionally, you will find we are the kind of company that wants to give libraries more than they expect.  It’s more than just a company philosophy, it’s the way we are built.  You’ll find us very grateful, appreciative and thankful for the opportunity to serve libraries and help them with their magazine needs.