Billy next zine of Behind The Zines is about zine library. Contact him if you’re interested being in the next issue. Billy is picky with submissions and may turn you down. https://behind-the-zines.com/ Or Iknowbilly@gmail.com My contribution to Behind The Zines and it will also be included in a soft cover book not related to Behind The Zines. A new outlook on a zine library. By- Robb Roemershauser I started a zine library in 2002 after bidding farewell to a zine I did called Quickdummies. I still wanted to be connected to zines in some way and was also interested to know more about other zines I had never known existed. I went to the Underground Publishers Conference (later renamed AMC, which is still around) in Bowling Green, Ohio, for about 5 years, and learned about zine libraries. The only zine library I saw a few times was at ABC No Rio in NYC. I was going to punk rock shows at a warehouse in New Orleans. I thought about starting the zine library I now call Aboveground, named after a cemetery across the street from the warehouse. People are buried in above-ground tombs here, and the zine library's name reflected that zines will no longer be underground. I had no one to talk to at shows, and that was a motivation for people, including me, to read zines when the next band was about to start. In 2003, I was at a New Orleans Bookfair meeting held outside the newly opened Iron Rail Info-Shop. I asked the Iron Rail after a meeting about moving my zine library permanently. I was in the middle of organizing the zine library at my house because, of the sweaty environment at Iron Rail. I got water up to the second floor of my house after Katrina. The zine library was okay and I had about 50 boxes on the third floor. Aboveground Zine Library and Iron Rail Info-Shop re-opened 2 months to the day after Katrina. Years later Iron Rail and Aboveground Zine Library was shut down by the police for lack of permits. Iron Rail reopened in a smaller space in the French Quarter. I tried for a while to find a space but, gave up on the dream. I think every major U.S. city should have a DIY zine library. Aboveground Zine Library eventually went into storage for almost 10 years. Iron Rail reopened in 2023-2025 at a warehouse until the property was sold. I went on the moving day to see the zine library again and wasn't involved with Iron Rail. I got to know the people who are with Iron Rail now. Iron Rail was in storage again in the attic for almost 1 year at Canoe, which is described as connecting New Orleans to the Caribbean culture. Canoe wasn’t using a long hallway and Iron Rail and the Aboveground Zine Library now have a public space again. I do not know how many zines or anarchist periodicals are in the zine library. I remember 20 years ago buying 9,500 plastic sleeves. I am going through the zines now and rewriting zine labels I did 20 years ago. It's weird being involved with zines at almost 50 now and I started making zines in high school. Donate zines at: Robb Aboveground, 2100 Sawmill Rd Apt. 22-202, New Orleans, LA 70123 _______________________________________________ ZineLibrarians mailing list ZineLibrarians@lists.zinelibraries.info http://lists.zinelibraries.info/listinfo.cgi/zinelibrarians-zinelibraries.info