Garth Spencer
Individuals and SF clubs are going to accumulate fanzines, many
of which are worth preserving and hauling out for examination well into the
future. However, sometimes one has to move into a smaller space, or a club has
to free up space and perhaps make some cash, so it is a good idea to know where
to put these things, and know they won’t end up in the garbage, or in the
recycling.
And there we have a challenge. How are you planning for the
conservation of your collection, either now or when you shuffle off this mortal
coil?
Like many other enterprises, dedicated fanzine libraries depend
on at least one dedicated fan, who may or may not be there. Even such a fan may
see the collection he bequeathed eventually trashed by the receiving library,
however famous and valuable for reference it may be. Municipal, university and
national libraries periodically have to divest some of their holdings, too.
Of course, now that we have a World Wide Web, individual fans
can erect their own archival websites. A few fans have done so, either as part
of an organization’s online presence, or as an individual project. Once again,
this depends on the continuing efforts (and outlay) of dedicated fans.
What follows is an (unfortunately incomplete) list of such
current archives as I can verify:
Bowling Green
State University's Browne Popular Culture Library. BSGU began collecting a
wide range of popular culture material in the late 1960s, ranging from posters,
to buttons, collectibles, fanzines and more. While their catalog lists 5000
zines, the bulk are general science fiction or other types of fanzines. As of
July 2011, the library contains approximately 97 slash zines, with around 300 gen fanzines.
Susan Smith-Clark's Fanzine
Collection at the National Library of Australia. In the late 1990s, Susan Smith-Clark
donated a portion of her fanzine and convention
program guide collection to the National Library of Australia. It currently
holds 100 of her calendars,
and other fan club-related
material.
Temple University's
Enterprising Women Collection. Temple University hosts a number of fanzines
related to Camille Bacon-Smith's book Enterprising
Women (the "Enterprising Women Collection"). They may also host a
smaller Star Trek collection that focuses on Klingons (the
"Sue Frank Klingon/Star
Trek" collection). These collections are part of the larger Paskow Science
Fiction Fanzine Collection. The finding aid for the collections are not
available online so their dates and contents remain unknown. In 2007, a visitor
to the Sue Frank Klingon/Star Trek collection describes "six linear
feet...of fanzines
and organizational newsletters. These were assembled by Dr. Frank from
groups within and outside of the U.S. -- fan groups are to be found in Britain,
New Zealand, and Italy, among other places. The titles include "Klingon
Assault Group Force Recon," "The Pillage Voice,"
"Engage!,"
"Disruptor," and "Something
Else." The newsletters reflect the range of Klingon-related activities
afoot in the terran world. They contain drawings, photos, recipes, letters,
poems, stories, technical information, and analyses of many aspects of Klingon
language and culture." [8]
Texas A&M Cushing
Library Fanzine Collection located in College Station, Texas: TAMU began
collecting general science fiction material in 1970 and added media fandom
material in 2011. In addition to general media fanzines, TAMU also houses Susan Frank's Klingon
Fanzine collection. As of October 2013, TAMU became the first university to
begin a special collection just for filk material.
The
Fanzine Archives: A Library for the Preservation & Circulation of
Fan-created Material, Ming Wathe's collection, also called "Corellian
Archives" or "The SWzine Library"/"The SWzine
Lending Library," that found a home at the University of Iowa Fanzine Archives
through OTW
The Professionals Circuit Library
University
of California Riverside's Fanzine Collection. This large science fiction
fanzine collection contains several hundred thousand fanzines. Special
Collection 320 houses approximately 1300 Star Trek K/S slash zines and printed
stories.
University of Iowa Fanzine Archives.
The University began collecting general science fiction fanzines starting in
2004.[7]
In 2008, Sandy
Herrold selected the University for her Blake's 7
fanzine collection. In 2009, the OTW helped Ming Wathne place her 3,000+ Fanzine
Archives which makes up the bulk of the University's collection. Other fans
have followed suit and an active donation program is currently underway.
(Wikipedia)