Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Developing an Archival Zine Collection


Brett, J. (2015). “Deep in the Heart of Texzines:” Developing an Archival Zine Collection. Technical Services Quarterly, 32(4), 390-401.

I found this article to be extremely fascinating, for it describes the creation and development of a zine collection at Cushing Memorial Library at Texas A&M University.  The author had developed a similar zine collection at the University of Iowa, so he used that experience as the basis to do the same at Texas.  Brett was motivated to collect zines because they are cultural artifacts that represent the diversity of people in this country, and their voices tend to be those who are outside the mainstream.  Also, as an archivist, Brett felt inclined to preserve these records, especially given “their ephemeral and underground nature.”  He outlines the steps taken to build the collection, such as getting administrative support, developing a collection policy, and hosting a zine event at the library to publicize the collection.  Zines are not a common source/record that are collected.  By and large they are still seen as being on the margins, and perhaps as disposable.  But in the author’s eyes, zines are worth preserving, and will one day be important historical sources.  I would recommend this article to anyone interested in zines and collection development, for it shows how one particular archivist, through his vision and efforts, was able to establish such a collection.

2 comments:

  1. Ramon,
    Thank you for choosing this article to highlight! I grew up in the underground punk and new wave scene and this really strikes home with me. So much of what transpires in the "underground" inspires so much of culture whether it be fashion, music,sports, etc. I want to read this article and maybe reach out to this individual who wrote it. It would be fun to see what is in this time capsule!
    All the Best,
    Lea Ann McDonald

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  2. You're very welcome Lea Ann. Glad you read it and that you connected with the article. I'm sure the author would be tickled/excited if you contacted him.

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