Student-produced library magazine releases first issue

After months of discussion and planning throughout the spring and summer, Saratoga Library’s Teen Advisory Board (TAB) finally published the first issue of Musings, an annual literary magazine “by and for the teens and youth of Saratoga” on July 8.

The TAB consists of a student-run staff who meet monthly to discuss ways to get teens interested in resources at the library. Through Musings, Saratoga’s youth are able to submit literary pieces and artwork which are later published in the magazine.

“I wanted to create a space where not just teens, but also younger kids felt comfortable sharing their work,” said senior Riddhi Sangam, Musings founder and co-president of TAB.  

Most of the contributors are Saratoga High students, including seniors Shreya Deva, Rachel Hull, Shreya Kanchan, Carolyn Sun and juniors Ashley Chen and Ingrid Pan.

“The overall process was very simple [and organized for contributors]: the submission and an acceptance email,” Pan said.

Twenty-two literary pieces were submitted and meshed together one month later into a final product. The staff was able to use an online platform for magazines called Issuu to publish it.

“The main benefit to an online magazine is that more people, not just from the United States, but from all over the world, have a chance to read [it],” Sangam said.

Sangam said the first issue scored 149 views and sees its success as an encouragement for the future.

“We are definitely planning on [publishing] another issue and hopefully many more,” Sangam said. “We’re so excited that the first issue was a success, and we hope that we can expand the magazine this year and in years to come.”