Inspired by a tweet from Kirsty Fife @DIYarchivist, here’s a compilation of archives-related zines. There’s a lot out there so this won’t be a complete list, but hopefully a good starting point!
Introductions to archives:
- Archives 101 (2015-2017) by the Los Angeles Archivists Collective. Three volume set with an introduction to archives terminology and practices
- Beginner’s Guide to Archives (2019) by Alison Sielaff and Lorin Jackson. An introduction to archives and their use for undergraduate students
- How to be a Super Researcher: Or At Least Fake It (2016) by Kelly Wooten. A one-sheet minizine introduction to archival research
- Lizard Ramone in Hot Pursuit: A Guide to Archives for Artists and Makers (2017) by Jeremy Ferris. A comic format introduction to how archives work
Queer topics in the archives:
- Blackout Records: A Taphonomy of Queer Addiction (2020) by Jesse Eisenmann. A very personal reflection on interacting with queer histories in an archive
- Document It Yourself: A Zine About Queer(ing) Archives (2018) by Junie Latte. An exploration of archives and queer archiving initiatives in Scotland, including tips for those new to archival research
- It’s Radical To Exist (2020) by Mel Reeve. A zine from the Bi History project about archives, queer history, and preserving the queer community’s existence
Other important and interesting topics about archives:
- Archiving the Underground (2011) by JB Brager, Jami Sailor. Interviews with various people involved with the academic study or archiving of zines
- The Archivist’s Alphabet by Richard Lee. Personal zine of stories about interesting collections and materials encountered in an archivist’s work
- Dismantling White Supremacy in Archives (2019) by Kelly Wooten, Laurin Penland, and Leah Kerr. A one-sheet minizine identifying how white privilege operates within systemic structures and envisioning alternatives
- Messy Archivist (2020) by M.C. Kinniburgh. Chapbook with poetry and personal thoughts exploring archival practice through the etymology of the word “messy”
- Radical Empathy in Archival Practice (2017, 2018). Created for a panel at the 2017 meeting of the Society for American Archivists
- Sometimes Archives are Really Weird (But I Love Them) (2020) by Janine Veazue
- Villanova University Archives Zine (2019- ) by Villanova University Archives staff. Created by workers as an outreach tool to highlight resources in the archives and share information about what archival workers do
Personal archiving (archival practices in non-institutional settings):
- Guide to DIY Archiving (2018) by Lori Dedeyan, Courtney Dean, and Melissa Haley. Created for the UCLA Punk Archive to provide guidance on personal archiving
- A list of more personal archiving zines is available at memorylabnetwork.github.io/zines
Scholarly works on zines and archives:
- The Archival Turn in Feminism: Outrage in Order (2013) by Kate Eichhorn. Book exploring third-wave feminist zines and their collection, cataloging, preservation, and distribution
- The Bonds of Organization: Zine Archives and the Archival Tradition (2013) by
Rachel Woodbrook and Althea Lazzaro. Article focusing on zine archives and their move towards standardization of policies and practices - “Deep in the Heart of Texzines”: Developing an Archival Zine Collection (2015) by Jeremy Brett. Article focusing on the genesis and development of a zine collection at Cushing Memorial Library, Texas A&M University
- Not For You? Ethical Implications of Archiving Zines (2019) by Kristy Fife. Article considering the ethical implications of archiving zine practice and cultures in institutional spaces
- Queering Archives : The Practices of Zines (2014) by Jessie Lymn. Doctoral thesis discussing the impact of zine practices on archives
- When Zines Meet Archives: Above- and Below-Ground Collections (2010) by Jessie Lymn
Find more books and journals about zines, including archival practice of zines, at the University of Puget Sound’s excellent LibGuide on zine resources.
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