Hi all! I'm hoping to hear how others have worked through re-processing/ re-evaluating collections from closed access into more open/circulating collections, particularly as it relates to creator privacy. Until now, our zine collections at George Mason have been housed in special collections. I'm now planning to move a large number into circ based on revised collection policies and scoping, student feedback, and my own dissatisfaction with zines being behind several layers of access. The concern: when we purchased work directly from creators, I had let them know they'd be going into special collections. Moving into a public circ space will make them more accessible to our community, but it's also *so much more *visible than the creators might have expected, particularly zinesters who have been/might be targets based on their identities or zine content (though I'll note our metadata & cataloging team has very carefully approached their author/authority work, so it's largely about the visibility of the physical item.) We're a public institution in Virginia and our library has had direct attention from certain organizations recently, so I'm hyperaware of the possibilities. *So: how have others worked through similar situations? *I know the 2015 (and forthcoming) code of ethics address this, and I'm planning to directly contact folks we can track down, but I'm curious to hear any specific examples! All the best, Stephanie -- Stephanie Grimm (she/her) stephgrimm@gmail.com _______________________________________________ ZineLibrarians mailing list ZineLibrarians@lists.zinelibraries.info http://lists.zinelibraries.info/listinfo.cgi/zinelibrarians-zinelibraries.info

At Multnomah County Library, Portland OR (I was a zine librarian there, but no longer work there) a slightly different issue arose - we had one or two people contact us, years later, after they'd agreed to let us purchase their zine and catalog it for our circulating collection, asking us to remove their zine, because for whatever reason, they no longer wanted it in the collection. I think we refused under the general library policy that we didn't generally remove library materials once purchased. It brought up 2 issues that probably need to be addressed to any zine library purchasing agreement: if you put out a zine, you are publishing, so whatever you put out there can't be pulled back (same as social media, once it's out there, it's out there). And then also clarifying that once something is in the library's collection, what does that mean, and what rights does the library have about what they will do with that material (including moving it to other collections, weeding it, donating it, or selling it at library bookstores etc.). Many zine creators are not necessarily knowledgeable about publishing or libraries and so are simply flattered to have their zine purchased for money, without realizing all the ramifications. I think it's great if you can contact the zinesters and let them know about the changed status of their zines. But it's also true that when someone publishes a zine and makes it available (sharing it, trading it, selling it at a festival or bookstore or distro etc.) the status of their zine could change multiple times. Another example, I've had out of state prisoners contact me after reading some of my zines, although I don't know how my zine reached them. Libraries should do what they can ethically, but it's not always possible to even reach every zinester years after they've written something. So at some level, publishing and selling something has risks that include not being able to control where that item ends up or who reads it. ________________________________ From: ZineLibrarians <zinelibrarians-bounces@lists.zinelibraries.info> on behalf of Stephanie <stephgrimm@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, June 4, 2025 11:03 AM To: zinelibrarians@lists.zinelibraries.info <zinelibrarians@lists.zinelibraries.info> Subject: [Zine Librarians] Reprocessing collections/assessing creator visibility? Hi all! I'm hoping to hear how others have worked through re-processing/ re-evaluating collections from closed access into more open/circulating collections, particularly as it relates to creator privacy. Until now, our zine collections at George Mason have been housed in special collections. I'm now planning to move a large number into circ based on revised collection policies and scoping, student feedback, and my own dissatisfaction with zines being behind several layers of access. The concern: when we purchased work directly from creators, I had let them know they'd be going into special collections. Moving into a public circ space will make them more accessible to our community, but it's also so much more visible than the creators might have expected, particularly zinesters who have been/might be targets based on their identities or zine content (though I'll note our metadata & cataloging team has very carefully approached their author/authority work, so it's largely about the visibility of the physical item.) We're a public institution in Virginia and our library has had direct attention from certain organizations recently, so I'm hyperaware of the possibilities. So: how have others worked through similar situations? I know the 2015 (and forthcoming) code of ethics address this, and I'm planning to directly contact folks we can track down, but I'm curious to hear any specific examples! All the best, Stephanie -- Stephanie Grimm (she/her) stephgrimm@gmail.com<mailto:stephgrimm@gmail.com> _______________________________________________ ZineLibrarians mailing list ZineLibrarians@lists.zinelibraries.info http://lists.zinelibraries.info/listinfo.cgi/zinelibrarians-zinelibraries.info

Stephanie, that's so rad about making your zines more accessible! I'd argue for a policy where you remove zines at a creator's request, which is what the Zine Librarians Code of Ethics <https://www.zinelibraries.info/code-of-ethics/> recommends. I do try to talk people into letting us keep the zine in the library, offering to remove their name from the catalog or change their pronouns, redact their name on the physical zine, or whatever concession might make them more comfortable with the zine remaining in the library. Still, one of the things I love about the zine librarians community is that many of us are willing and able to prioritize zine culture ethics over standard library practice. (I will note that I have way more autonomy in my academic library than I think a lot of public librarians do, so I have sympathy for the decision at Multnomah.) Ultimately, you do you, and make your policy public. On Wed, Jun 4, 2025 at 2:51 PM C Fastwolf <cfastwolf@hotmail.com> wrote: > At Multnomah County Library, Portland OR (I was a zine librarian there, > but no longer work there) a slightly different issue arose - we had one or > two people contact us, years later, after they'd agreed to let us purchase > their zine and catalog it for our circulating collection, asking us to > remove their zine, because for whatever reason, they no longer wanted it in > the collection. I think we refused under the general library policy that we > didn't generally remove library materials once purchased. > > It brought up 2 issues that probably need to be addressed to any zine > library purchasing agreement: if you put out a zine, you are publishing, so > whatever you put out there can't be pulled back (same as social media, once > it's out there, it's out there). And then also clarifying that once > something is in the library's collection, what does that mean, and what > rights does the library have about what they will do with that material > (including moving it to other collections, weeding it, donating it, or > selling it at library bookstores etc.). > Many zine creators are not necessarily knowledgeable about publishing or > libraries and so are simply flattered to have their zine purchased for > money, without realizing all the ramifications. > > I think it's great if you can contact the zinesters and let them know > about the changed status of their zines. But it's also true that when > someone publishes a zine and makes it available (sharing it, trading it, > selling it at a festival or bookstore or distro etc.) the status of their > zine could change multiple times. Another example, I've had out of state > prisoners contact me after reading some of my zines, although I don't know > how my zine reached them. > > Libraries should do what they can ethically, but it's not always possible > to even reach every zinester years after they've written something. So at > some level, publishing and selling something has risks that include not > being able to control where that item ends up or who reads it. > ------------------------------ > *From:* ZineLibrarians <zinelibrarians-bounces@lists.zinelibraries.info> > on behalf of Stephanie <stephgrimm@gmail.com> > *Sent:* Wednesday, June 4, 2025 11:03 AM > *To:* zinelibrarians@lists.zinelibraries.info < > zinelibrarians@lists.zinelibraries.info> > *Subject:* [Zine Librarians] Reprocessing collections/assessing creator > visibility? > > Hi all! > > I'm hoping to hear how others have worked through re-processing/ > re-evaluating collections from closed access into more open/circulating > collections, particularly as it relates to creator privacy. > > Until now, our zine collections at George Mason have been housed in > special collections. I'm now planning to move a large number into circ > based on revised collection policies and scoping, student feedback, and my > own dissatisfaction with zines being behind several layers of access. > > The concern: when we purchased work directly from creators, I had let them > know they'd be going into special collections. Moving into a public circ > space will make them more accessible to our community, but it's also *so > much more *visible than the creators might have expected, particularly > zinesters who have been/might be targets based on their identities or zine > content (though I'll note our metadata & cataloging team has very carefully > approached their author/authority work, so it's largely about the > visibility of the physical item.) We're a public institution in Virginia > and our library has had direct attention from certain organizations > recently, so I'm hyperaware of the possibilities. > > *So: how have others worked through similar situations? *I know the 2015 > (and forthcoming) code of ethics address this, and I'm planning to directly > contact folks we can track down, but I'm curious to hear any specific > examples! > > All the best, > Stephanie > > -- > Stephanie Grimm (she/her) > stephgrimm@gmail.com > > > _______________________________________________ > ZineLibrarians mailing list > ZineLibrarians@lists.zinelibraries.info > > http://lists.zinelibraries.info/listinfo.cgi/zinelibrarians-zinelibraries.info > -- Jenna Freedman | she, her Director of the Barnard Zine Library make an appointment <https://barnard.libcal.com/appointments/jenna-freedman> | https://is.gd/jennacalendar https://linktr.ee/barnardzinelibrary I do not speak for my institution (and my institution does not speak for me) Fridays are dedicated cataloging days. I will respond to messages I receive on Fridays the following week. _______________________________________________ ZineLibrarians mailing list ZineLibrarians@lists.zinelibraries.info http://lists.zinelibraries.info/listinfo.cgi/zinelibrarians-zinelibraries.info