Re-imagining collection spaces: zines in institutional and community spaces Jessie Lymn University of Technology, Sydney AERI 2009

Early-stages of PhD research project Working with subcultural communities Zine makers, consumers, collectors Site of resistance, non-conformance Opportunity for interdisciplinary research Information and archive studies Cultural studies

Early-stages of PhD research project

Working with subcultural communities

Zine makers, consumers, collectors

Site of resistance, non-conformance

Opportunity for interdisciplinary research

Information and archive studies

Cultural studies

Zines?

A problem of definition More than the material object I use ‘zine’ as something more akin to a roughly held culture of literary productions and consumption, rather than a set object or a specific style of writing (Ware, 2004)

More than the material object

I use ‘zine’ as something more akin to a roughly held culture of literary productions and consumption, rather than a set object or a specific style of writing (Ware, 2004)

Public collections Public space Not necessarily accessible Two major Australian zine collections State Library of Victoria collection Octapod collection, Newcastle

Public space

Not necessarily accessible

Two major Australian zine collections

State Library of Victoria collection

Octapod collection, Newcastle

State Library of Victoria zine collection

State Library of Victoria Rare printed section Approx 5,000 titles Archival preservation standards Collected since 2000 Sourced by standing order with bookshops Polyester Books Sticky Institute Close connection with local zine community

Rare printed section

Approx 5,000 titles

Archival preservation standards

Collected since 2000

Sourced by standing order with bookshops

Polyester Books

Sticky Institute

Close connection with local zine community

The Octapod zine collection

Octapod collection, Newcastle Developed as part of National Young Writers Festival in 1998 Grew from the festival and local zine collection Nationally significant collection Estimated 3000+ zines Current stocktaking project Connection with national zine community, little with local community

Developed as part of National Young Writers Festival in 1998

Grew from the festival and local zine collection

Nationally significant collection

Estimated 3000+ zines

Current stocktaking project

Connection with national zine community, little with local community

Reflections Both motivated by zine makers and consumers Differences in Preservation standards Accessibility Long term sustainability Institutional collection vs community space Octapod site for production (zine workshops) and consumption (browsing collection)

Both motivated by zine makers and consumers

Differences in

Preservation standards

Accessibility

Long term sustainability

Institutional collection vs community space

Octapod site for production (zine workshops) and consumption (browsing collection)

Future directions Exploring the idea of memory collection spaces as sites of production, consumption and collection Moving away from institutional collections Focus on community spaces Infoshops, zine libraries, art spaces Domestic space as a third space of collection Bringing the self into research

Exploring the idea of memory collection spaces as sites of production, consumption and collection

Moving away from institutional collections

Focus on community spaces

Infoshops, zine libraries, art spaces

Domestic space as a third space of collection

Bringing the self into research

Bartel, J. 2004, From A to Zine: Building a winning zine collection in your library, ALA Editions, Chicago. Leventhal, A. 2007, 'Imperfect Bound: Zines, Materiality, and the question of Preserving Ephemera', Canadian Association for the Study of Book Culture, Saskatoon, Saskatchwan Ware, I. 2004, 'An Introduction to Zines and their Definition', New Media Poetics, vol. 3.

Bartel, J. 2004, From A to Zine: Building a winning zine collection in your library, ALA Editions, Chicago.

Leventhal, A. 2007, 'Imperfect Bound: Zines, Materiality, and the question of Preserving Ephemera', Canadian Association for the Study of Book Culture, Saskatoon, Saskatchwan

Ware, I. 2004, 'An Introduction to Zines and their Definition', New Media Poetics, vol. 3.