This survey from the Barnard Zine Library asked zine makers about their comfort with the library photocopying or scanning portions of zines. The majority were comfortable with scanning zine covers for an online catalog. Opinions were mixed on copying full zines or portions for remote or incarcerated patrons, with many only comfortable if the zine is out of print. Responses indicated areas like ILL policies, consent for compilation zines, and anonymizing contact information need consideration. The library staff will use these insights to inform their current and future collection policies.

2. The Survey
Welcome to the Barnard Zine Library zine scanning & photocopying
policies survey! We want to understand a variety of zine makers'
preferences about libraries reproducing their zines and portions of
their zines for researchers, incarcerated people and leisure readers.
Your feedback will directly inform current and future policies for our
zine collection. The responses you give will remain anonymous, unless
you choose to provide your name and contact information for follow
up questions and love.
The survey should take 3-5 minutes to complete. We appreciate your
time, and the information you provide is of great value to us!

3. Responses
• 136 respondents, 114
completed the whole thing
• 100% identified as zine
makers
• Other
– Reading logs
– Cook zines
– Literary zines
art zines
11%
Compila
-tion
zines
16%
DIY
zines
9%
Mini-
comics
5%
personal
zines
41%
political
zines
14%
Other
4%

4. I see no
problem with
this
38%
Only if the
zine is not
available for
sale
26%
I do not feel
comfortable
with this
20%
Other
16%
Are you comfortable with Barnard Zine Library personnel
photocopying a zine to send to a remote patron?

5. comments or suggestions relating to prison
correspondence (representative & summarized)
• Requests from incarcerated people for free zines
can be overwhelming
• Distrust of incarcerated people
• Not wanting share a comp zine without all
contributors' consent
• "do not, DO NOT send copies of zines to prisoner
with out the explicit consent of the zine maker!"
• Okay, but obfuscate my name/contact info

6. I see no
problem with
this, 38%
Only if the
zine is not
available for
sale, 26%
I do not feel
comfortabl
e with this,
20%
Other, 16%
Are you comfortable with Barnard Zine Library personnel
photocopying a zine to send to a remote patron?

7. Representative, summarized notes about
copying/scanning for a remote patron
• With a license that the person may not reproduce
the zine
• With permission
• I'd be afraid of someone from my personal life
requesting copies for own their creepy reasons
and not for research purposes
• Could you put a watermark on it?

8. Yes
62%Only If the zine
is not available
for sale.
6%
No
15%
Other
17%
Are you comfortable with Barnard Zine Library photocopying a
zine to send to someone in prison?

9. Representative, summarized notes about
copying/scanning for an incarcerated person
• Redact personal info
• Can't give permission for contributors to comp zines
• Not for perzines, but okay for DIY and political zines
• Female identified inmates only
• Okay under most circumstances
• Depends on the crime
• "ONLY with permission"

10. Yes
62%
No
10%
Other (please
explain)
28%
If Barnard Zine
Library personnel
do send
photocopies of
zines to
incarcerated
people, should they
obfuscate the zine
maker's postal
contact
information?

11. Yes
57%
No
20%
Other
23%
If we send photocopies of zines to incarcerated people,
should we obfuscate the zine maker's electronic contact
information?

13. Selected & summarized comments &
suggestions re: ILL policy
• Zines should not be copied and sent to remote patrons.
• Consider zines made in the 90s before the internet/Google were
omnipresent
• Accompany scan with a note saying that contact info for the creator, or for
any zine reviews inside, etc., may no longer be valid.
• Concern about voyeurism
• Curious about cost, where the money comes from and where it goes
• Get consent
• Clearly label excerpts with zine issue metadata

14. I see no
problem with
this.
42%
Only if the zine
is not available
for sale.
30%
I do not feel
comfortable
with this.
15%
Other
13%
photocopying a portion of a zine to send to a remote patron

15. Yes
50%
Only if the
zine is not
available for
sale.
2%
No 28%
Other
20%
Photocopying a portion of a zine for someone in prison?

16. Yes
97%
Other
3%
Are you comfortable with us scanning zine
covers to use in an online catalog?

17. Not at all
51%
Somewhat
36%
Strongly
13%
Other
0%
Were your answers were affected by whether or not you zine(s)
are currently in print/for sale?

18. Not at all
47%
Somewhat
35%
Strongly
15%
Other 3%
Were your answers affected by whether or not your zines are, to your
knowledge, held at Barnard?

19. Policy implications
• What constitutes a mandate?
• ILL
• Incarcerated people
• Zines by genre
• Zines in print

20. Those responsible
• Annie Soga helped develop the survey
• Ann Matsushima Chiu helped analyze the
responses
• Jenna Freedman made this slideshow
• Bad Bad Leroy Brown...

21. ...is bad (gratuitous cat photo)