A number of different newspapers are available in the Lafayette area. The Lafayette Journal and Courier is Lafayette's number one newspaper, and it is considered to be politically moderate. It covers some national, a smattering of world, and most of the local news, and it has good sports coverage. The Lafayette Leader is a little weekly newspaper handling primarily local news from nearby small towns. USA Today is a popular national newspaper. The Indianapolis Star is also available in the Lafayette area.

The New York Times has a cheap subscription rate for students during the semester, and subscription forms are available from Von's Bookstore. Subscribers can pick up their paper in the Math Building during the week or at Von's Bookstore on Saturdays. The student ACM chapter subscribes to the New York Times, and their copies may be read in the ACM/UPE office (CS G77) on weekdays.

The Purdue Exponent is the campus paper that is printed Monday through Friday during the school year. It is a typical college newspaper and has good campus coverage, and it also features a crossword puzzle and a couple of comic strips. The Exponent is distributed to pick-up points throughout campus, including the first floor of the CS building near the mailboxes, and it is usually available until mid-morning. Of course, the best thing about the Exponent is that it's free. The bad side of this is that you get what you pay for.

There are two public libraries in the greater Lafayette area to satisfy your appetite for leisure reading. The newly rebuilt West Lafayette Public Library (http://www.wlaf.lib.in.us/) is located a few blocks from campus at 208 W Columbia in West Lafayette. The Tippecanoe County Public Library (http://www.tcpl.lib.in.us/) is located in the heart of downtown Lafayette at 627 South Street. A driver's license is usually required to get a library card.

There are also a number of good bookstores in town. There are, of course, the academic bookstores around campus, which are great for technical references, but there are also some bookstores with more diverse selections of leisure reading. Von's Books is located just east of campus at 315 W State Street by Chauncey Hill. There is also a Borders Books & Music on the Levee, and a Barnes and Noble store near the Tippecanoe Mall. These are good places not only to buy books and CDs, but also to read, have coffee, and play board games (available from the coffee counter at Barnes and Noble). Check the local yellow pages for other bookstores around town.

• West Lafayette Public Library - 743-2261
• Tippecanoe County Public Library - 429-0100
• Von's Books - 743-1915
• Barnes & Nobel - 449-4330
• Borders - 743-7775