Drafting Zine Collection Development Policy.

Many libraries collect zines (a type of homemade magazine) in order to better represent marginalized perspectives within their communities. I have worked with the Austin History Center to draft a policy on how to expand their own zine collection. First, I looked through their spreadsheet to see what zines are already in their collection. I then researched similar policies at peer institutions using both information posted on their websites and survey responses from their employees. My main deliverable is a draft policy incorporating my knowledge about the practices of other libraries with comparable collections. It includes a brief outline of the collections’ scope and importance, followed by suggestions for where the Austin History Center can acquire zines and how to treat them once they are accessioned. I recommended that they solicit donations on their websites and through fliers placed in local coffee shops, in addition to collecting zines at a local zine festival and buying them directly from distributors. One of my other suggestions was that zines be inventoried upon accession, and then hopefully cataloged at some point so that the collection can be shared through WorldCat and ZineCat.