Last Monday during our meeting with Kim, she became very enthusiastic about one idea that suggested a zine exchange in the library, which would function as a sort of alternative information exchange with (hopefully) more pleasant aesthetics than the institutional fluorescent lights and linoleum floors in the library building. She suggested the third floor information slots (see photo in previous post to understand what I mean by "information slots"), which are in a high-traffic area and near the library's special collection of Dark Horse comic books. (Zines and comics, kind of related?) I wrote a proposal and sent it her way, and now we're waiting for final approval from the head librarian.
In the meantime, I figured I'd start spreading the word that we're seeking submissions for the project, and JEEZ I got lots of positive feedback and assistance from the zine and art community in Portland. The IPRC (Independent Publishing Resource Center) send the Call for Submissions out to their 1000+ mailing list contacts, and the communications director for RACC (Regional Arts and Culture Council) posted it on the organization's website! I have about a dozen promises of zines that people are sending to my house or leaving for me at the IPRC. The Portland Zine Symposium people also expressed some interest, though nothing concrete yet. Some girls handed me five copies of their zine yesterday, asking if we were going to have an opening reception. Woah?
Part of me is super excited that this project is going to be completely possible and successful, while another part of me wonders if this is really a needed addition to the library, with so many resources already existing in Portland. Zines are very important to people in Portland, and I wonder if anyone who happens upon our makeshift library-within-a-library is going to be surprised or feel like we're offering a unique service.
I suppose the way to counter this worry of the project turning out like any other old zine library (are we spoiled in Portland?! maybe!) is to work more on making zines for the library about interesting things I've discovered in starting to ask questions of the people in it. Laura and I decided to have one library-related featured zine at all times, and by making publications that are specific to our "department" we can make this project more unique and more oriented towards the LIBRARY and not just alternative media.
Ideas about Library Zines to be made this term:
-A single interview or a series of interviews with librarians at PSU on the topics of their lives or their specialty
-A collection of stories from students who work in the library, reshelving (the only student position)
-A photo essay (though in poor, xeroxed quality!) on the hidden parts of the library
Any more ideas, dudes? Any feedback so far on the project itself?
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