Libraries not getting their pound of flesh

From Library Journal online:

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."

I guess my first question (well, second question, but the first is rude) is: will they be refunding libraries for whatever percent of their subscription cost the swimsuit issue comprises? If not, could they be in violation of the agreement assumed when we purchase a subscription (e.g. we are paying X dollars for X number of issues in X time)?

UPDATE: I gather SI is extending affected subscriptions by one issue, but...all of their advertising says "Purchase Sports Illustrated for one year, including our famous swimsuit issue". My question remains - is this what we paid for?

The fact that over the counter sales of the swimsuit issue basically pay for the rest of the year is irrelevant.

An amusing anecdote: about 5 years ago I had a young woman ask, the day after the swimsuit issue came out, if we had it. Without blinking an eye I said we should be receiving it, yes. She then offered (I didn't ask, I swear!) the information that she wanted it...because she was writing a thesis on the objectification of women, and the swimsuit issue was a focus of her theme. Talk about your legitimate educational uses!

Me? I just like to play the "guess the airbrushed bits" game.