The Starsky & Hutch Lending Library

You may be looking for the gen library: S&H Genzine Lending Library.

Archive
Name:	The Starsky & Hutch Lending Library
Date(s):	1995, then 2001-2006
Archivist:	Flamingo
Founder:	Linda McGee, Barbara F, Jean Holmes
Type:	fanzine lending library
Fandom:	Starsky & Hutch
URL:	The Starsky & Hutch Lending Library, Archived version
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The Starsky & Hutch Lending Library was created in spring 1995.

It was originally active for less than a year, derailed by the leaders' fears of visibility and the internet.

In 2000-01, fans restarted the library, and it went until 2006.

The original main librarians were Barbara F and Linda McGee. A later archivist was Flamingo.

The "The Starsky & Hutch Lending Library" was a collection of out-of-print zines assembled by Linda and many other SH fans with the goal of making these zines available to those who had never had an opportunity to see them. Their intention was to ensure that this classic fiction would not be lost to Starsky & Hutch fandom.

This library included both gen and slash zines. Zines were always presented uncut, uncensored, and unedited. By 2001, 64 zines, evenly divided between slash and gen, were listed in the library catalog.

Timeline

• June 1994, Linda proposes the idea.
• August 1994: "Ladies, it looks as if the Lending Library is going to happen!"
• January 1995: "I've already heard from a couple of people requesting info. One mentioned that she'd heard about the Library through a friend on the GEnie bulletin board.
• March 1995: "While we think it's great to pass the word to friends on a one-to-one basis, we're a little leery about making a formal announcement to be read by the general public. You just never know who's out there."
• July 1995: the library "is off to a flying start." The librarian states that that someone has put info on Prodigy TNT, and she gives fans a tutorial about online privacy: ‘Bulletin boards’ are not like personal mail or a letterzine. They’re open to anyone who is on the computer network — children, TV network representatives (for example, TNT), right-wing activists, psychopaths, doctors, lawyers, Indian chiefs -- not just the few people with whom one is ‘chatting.’ Network executives pay employees to ‘surf the nets’ to discover what is being said about different shows."
• September 1995: there are several letters from fans discussing the fact that another fan talked about The Starsky & Hutch Lending Library on the internet somewhere.
• January 1996: The librarian sends a angry notice, dated December 18, 1995, to fans, saying there has been another visibility breach, states the library is closed: " Who is this person! Does he know about slash? If not, am I going to be the one to enlighten him by sending the former Library agreement? NO WAY IN HELL!"
• March 1996: While admitting that one cannot control information "online" and being talked about by strangers, and getting confirmation that the information hadn't been posted to the Zebra Three Mailing List, Barbara states that the Library is permanently closed: Linda and I agree we have an obligation to protect not only ourselves, but also the writers and publishers of these older zines, most of which came out before the computer nets even existed.

Original Vision

The Library's original mission was to share older out-of-print fanzines with fans who had never read them. It was meant to spread the love of these fanworks, as well as promote Starsky & Hutch fandom in general.

This fandom already had a history of being a somewhat closed, almost private, emphasis. It wasn't unusual for editors of letterzines and other zines to request that their publications not be listed for sale in the bigger and visible adzines of the day.

This was partly due to the fannish norms, but also due to the seemingly endless hassles and in-fighting among fans about the subject of slash.

S&H fans were also, perhaps, basing their experiences with "underground" sharing of zines that had been happening with another fandom, The Professionals and their lending libraries.

Another big factor on the horizon was the beginning of electronic mailing lists and the internet. While some fans welcomed the opportunities and wider reach for fandom, others were horrified at the idea of "strangers" knowing about their fandom and fanworks. Suddenly, "sharing" had taken on a whole new definition, and for the Library organizers, it was not a positive.

Even early on, one of the Librarians expressed her desire to keep the library's reach limited, and for only some fans:

Well, the S&H Lending Library is off to a flying start. As of today (July 11) we have 15 members, who presently have out a total of 26 zines. There is also

information out to a fair number of additional people who have requested it, but who have not joined as yet.

In away, I almost hope we don't get too many more, at least for awhile. Just in the last week or two we are beginning to reach the point of what I call "zine gridlock". That's where we have so many members with so many zines out, that people who only have 6 or 8 zines left on their want lists may have delays...

In the end, less than a year after the project was started, the Librarians closed the library, citing their anger and fear at finding out that instead of the small, controlled, private readership they'd envisioned, they were getting attention from an increasing number of strangers who'd supposedly heard about the fandom (and the library) from online sources.

Tensions: The Strictly Gen Alternative Project

Some fans didn't want anything to do with slash fans or fanworks, something that was often a very heated topic; many of these conversations can be seen in the fandom's letterzines.

Because of this, a similar library that included only gen zines was started in 1997. It included a few "mixed" zines, but only after the slash content had been removed. This library, the S&H Genzine Lending Library, was headed by K. Hanna Korossy.

Tensions: Visibility and the Internet

In 1995, many fans had a lot of fears about their activities and creations becoming more visible due to online computer presence. For more on this subject, see: 1995: Visibility and the Threat of Closure .

The Threat From Within Fandom

By 1995, the instances of actual legal hassle for fanworks had been extremely low. Low or not, rumors and word on fannish streets had a chilling effect on fans and their fanworks. See some notable C&Ds sent to fans.

This was something that directly affected the fledgling library after a fan, a subscriber to Frienz, talked about the project online.

Ironically, despite the emphasis on the fear of "outsiders," non-fans, and network executors causing trouble for Starsky & Hutch fans and the things they created, ALL KNOWN THREATS to fans came from OTHER FANS harassing each other and squealing to TPTB because they were unhappy with fans writing, reading, and viewing slash fan fiction and art: some examples are harassment includes the zine, Code 7 and why the first issue was printed after stripping out all of the author names, the reason Leslie Fish published Pushin' the Odds with hard to read type, slash content torn out of zines and sent back to the editors, inflammatory essays such as the 1996 GARBAGE LIKE THAT HAS NO PLACE IN FANDOM, letterzine tensions that became high enough to be a factor that caused publications to fold (this eventually included various letterzines such as Frienz, APB, and others.

For more, see tensions between gen and slash fans.

The 1994 Proposition

rules, printed in Frienz #29 (March 1995)

the "thank you" included as the frontispiece to donated zines

From Linda McGee in June 1994:

Recently we seem to have quite a few new people discovering SH fandom. (Yea!) In addition to episodes, all these folks want to get their hot little hands on — yes -- zines. Problem: Many zines -- "&" and "/" -- are out of print and virtually impossible to find second-hand, especially if one can't go to cons.

It's occurred to some of us that a lending library, similar to the one [Karen B] runs for "The Professionals", might be a good solution. We would have a collection of out of print zines available for loan at a nominal fee. The borrower would reimburse the postage costs and return the zine within a reasonable period of time, during which she could, if desired, make her own copy. Zines which are still available (such as the Zebra 3's) would not be included.

If we do this, the question arises of where to get the loaner zines (Xeroxes would be fine). I have a couple I could contribute to the cause, and could copy a couple more, but I frankly can't afford to reproduce my entire collection, and no longer want to ship out my originals.

An effort like this would require the support of more than one or two fans. So I thought I'd toss the idea out and see how it sounds to you. We have a responsible party who's volunteered to handle the library. Does this seem like a good idea to you? Is it a service you might use? Is it an idea you're willing to support in any way? For example: 1) Do you have extra copies or unwanted zines you could donate to the library on a more-or-less permanent basis? 2) Do you have access to copying, so you could donate cloned copies, or could copy other people's zines at no charge for inclusion in the library? 3) Would you be willing to donate cash toward copying costs? I have a friend in another fandom who has her own machine and will xerox zines for us at a small cost. (She doesn't want to make a business of copying SH zines for others, but would make us a single copy of a zine for use in the library.)

Once again, this seems like a possible way to feed new fans (and any older ones whose collections are incomplete!). But one or two fans can't do it alone, nor should they be expected to. So, are you willing to help in whatever way(s) you can? Please write to me at home or through the l/z with your ideas, suggestions, and offers of assistance.

The 1995 Opening

From February 1995, Linda made statement about a preference for the original zines over photocopied ones, and while she did not give specifics, she admonished receiving a copy of a "mixed" zine where the single slash story had been removed. This zine was likely 10-13 #2:

By the way, it's the policy of the Library to include zines in their complete, as-originally-published form. We don't mean no xerox copies. We love xerox copies! We mean that no stories, illos, etc. should be omitted. I mention this because we received one donation from which the contributor had apparently decided to excise a story. So, please, if you can't send the entire zine, let us try to get it from another source.

From Linda McGee March 1995:

March 1995: the zines available when the library first opened; it is a list of 36 or 37 titles

Okay, ladies, the Starsky & Hutch Lending Library is a reality now, and it's off to a great start! Barbara now has thirty-seven zines in her custody, ready to be shared. Wouldn't it be great to have all of print zines available for lending? With your help, we can. We've enclosed a list of the zines currently in the Library. How about taking a look to see if you can add anything? All donations gratefully accepted, and you even get your name mentioned right up front on the 'Thank You' page! (Hard to believe I was never a cheerleader, isn't it? SH just brings out the 'rah-rah' in me, I guess.) To avoid duplication, it might be a good idea to let either me or Barbara know in advance what you'd like to send, so we can tell you if someone else is already going to donate it.

July 1995: the librarian stated there were 41 zine titles available. She also included the zines the library was still looking for to be included in the collection.

From Barbara in July 1995:

Library News

Well, the S&H Lending Library is off to a flying start. As of today (July 11) we have 15 members, who presently have out a total of 26 zines. There is also information out to a fair number of additional people who have requested it, but who have not joined as yet.

In away, I almost hope we don't get too many more, at least for awhile. Just in the last week or two we are beginning to reach the point of what I call "zine gridlock". That's where we have so many members with so many zines out, that people who only have 6 or 8 zines left on their want lists may have delays; I've had to drop postcards to several people telling them that all the zines they wanted are presently out! I've been trying for a one-day turnaround time on returns to next shipments, or at least next business day (when I would get to the Post Office). In part because I know people are anxious to get their next zines, and in part because I know if I let the orders pile up, the task will become overwhelming on the whole. Library operation has been very smooth, working just as we intended it to.

I, and I expect most readers, very much appreciate the many members who return their zines well before the due date. I know, you're just eager to get your next zine fix, but it also makes them available for the next borrower sooner too.

Running the Library does get time-consuming, but it's also fun to share the pleasures of these good, older zines. Reader comments have been most encouraging. Now if some of them would just start writing stories of their own...

Well, easy come, easy go, as they say. We've had to remove the zines BLOND BLINTZ BULLETIN, DIRTBALL DISPATCH and PARTNERS from the Library. Linda McGee has found out that all three are being republished in one volume to be called PODNUZ [sic] (I know, sounds like a bad Western). Since established Library policy is that we carry only zines that are out of print (so far as we know), Linda has written the publishers, advising them 1) that we are pulling the zines from circulation and 2) that they should contact Jean Holmes to get the announcement of the new zine in both Frienz and the S&H Adzine.

A couple of the newer members have sent their transaction fees in the form of $1 checks. Unless there's a problem on your end. I'd rather have that in cash. Eliminates having to schlep over to the bank, sort out what's my moolah and what's the Library's, etc. Simple and direct, sez I. I know this sounds complicated, but we need your $25 security deposit in a check, your $1 transaction fee in cash, and a stamp(s) for the mailing.

Also, I need a SASE with inquiries about Library membership, but not with each transaction once you are a member. If I need to pass anything along. I'll just put a note in your next zine shipment, or drop you a postcard (covered by transaction fees).

Visibility -- and Closure and Reopening and Closure

announcement from Starsky & Hutch Adzine & Newsletter #15 (February 1995)

March 1995

I received the library zine package from Linda McGee today. Look for her notice elsewhere in this l/z. Do please Include a SASE when you write me about it. I've agreed to do this for one year, then we'll see how it's going. I've already heard from a couple of people requesting info. One mentioned that she'd heard about the Library through a friend on the GEnie bulletin board. Discretion being the better part of valor (or cowardice of survival, depending on your point of view), Linda and I have agreed that while it's fine for everyone to pass along word about the Library to personal friends and acquaintances, we would request that it not be posted for public consumption. I don't know the terminology, but not where just anybody who signs onto the board can read it? There are some weird people out there... With some really weird attitudes about slash. This kind of problem we don't need!

Also by the way, Barbara said she'd had an inquiry about the Library from someone who said she got the info via a computer network, which started us talking about the subject of on-line communication. While we think it's great to pass the word to friends on a one-to-one basis, we're a little leery about making a formal announcement to be read by the general public. You just never know who's out there. TNT is on line. Who else might be? Someone from Spelling-Goldberg who doesn't like the idea of fanzines? Fandom has existed quite peacefully for years without letting the Powers That Be in on it. So, if by any chance you'd thought of putting an announcement on a bulletin board, we'd like to recommend discretion instead.

July 1995

[Linda]: In Frienz #29, both [Barbara F] and I asked that information concerning the Lending Library not be published on any public computer bulletin boards. Despite this, a Frienz reader printed not only Library information along with my address, but titles of zines and names and addresses of people from whom to order them, on the Prodigy TNT board. I believe that the person in question was operating from purely good motives; she just wanted to be helpful.

As soon as I heard what had been done, I called her to explain why I do not want my name published and to ask her to get it off the bulletin board immediately. She was very cooperative in honoring my request, but expressed surprise at my concern, which is why I think it might be a good idea to address the issue in the letterzine.

‘Bulletin boards’ are not like personal mail or a letterzine. They’re open to anyone who is on the computer network — children, TV network representatives (for example, TNT), right-wing activists, psychopaths, doctors, lawyers, Indian chiefs -- not just the few people with whom one is ‘chatting.’ Network executives pay employees to ‘surf the nets’ to discover what is being said about different shows. I know this because a SH fan works for one of the networks and does this as part of her job! And ladies, writing stories using someone else’s characters is copyright infringement. Do Spelling/Goldberg care that we’re writing about SH? I don’t know. Given that no profit is made (Believe me, no profit is made!), is it illegal? I don’t think so, but I don’t know! I do know that I don’t want to be the ‘test case’! And I don't think anyone else in SH does.

People in several other fandoms — Star Wars, Miami Vice, and X- Files, to name three about which I’ve heard — have received Cease and Desist orders when the networks found out about fannish activities, including letterzines! I’m not trying to exclude any genuine fan from enjoying the delights fandom has to offer. But I do think that we need to protect fandom by not rubbing anyone’s noses in the fact that we’re out here writing stories about ‘their’ characters.

Speaking purely on a personal basis, I do not want my name published in any public forum! I would suggest obtaining permission from the person involved before publishing anyone’s name in this manner. I’m obviously not talking about the letterzine, whose readership is limited to SH fans. I’m talking about anything that non-fans also read. I’m sorry to have had to go on about this, but I think it’s a really important issue involving both privacy and the protection of fandom as a whole. I am now climbing down off my soapbox.

Thanks for listening.

[Barbara]: I'll have a separate page of Library news, but did want to emphasize again: PLEASE, folks, do NOT post information about the S&H Library on the open boards on the computer services where just anyone can read them. Linda and I have both said this in Frienz before, but one member did so anyway. Fortunately Linda found out about it quickly and the member did arrange to have the posting removed, but it still isn't a good idea. There is no way to know who all is reading those public boards, and what their agendas and motives might be. There are just too many weird people out there, and mundanes do not understand fandom. This is something we're doing on our own time and expense, as a service to the fandom, and we do not need the additional concern about the risk of problems from outsiders.

December 1995

From Frienz #34:

December 18, 1995

As of December 16, 1995, there is NO Starsky & Hutch Fanzine Lending Library. It is discontinued. Gone. Kaput. Defunct. Finished. History. Non-existent.

From the beginning Linda and I have made repeated emphatic requests and pleas that NO mention of the Library or our names and addresses be made in any on-line format. After all this, I received in the mail on the 16th a letter from an unknown person, apparently of the male persuasion, saying, "I got your name from the Zebrathree e-mail list... I am pretty new to zines, so I would like to find out what you have available." Who is this person? Does he know about slash? If not, am I going to be the one to enlighten him by sending the former Library agreement? NO WAY IN HELL!

If this seems paranoid to you, I'm sorry, but see the attached copy of a recent Chicago Tribune editorial to see the source of my concerns. While the references there are mainly to sexual content, it is easy to see that mindset expanding to include anything these would-be censors disapprove of, such as the 'frivolity' of fandom, or the suggestion of copyright infringement. Note particularly the reference to diminishing "...the privacy of users, who do not look forward to having their on-line conversations monitored..." Clearly a viable possibility.

[...]

Is this person I heard from really a fan? Very possibly. Is he a researcher for Newt Gingrich, Pat Robertson, TNT or Spelling-Goldberg? Equally possible. I do not propose to find out.

Running the former Library has taken a great deal of time and effort on my part. When Linda and I set it up, the intention and expectation was that it would be to serve the traditional private fannish network -- individual fans in contact with other individual, known fans, either in person or by mail. I am NOT prepared to make this kind of sacrifice for every Tom, Dick and Harry out there with a modem!

I'm not on-line myself, but I understand from friends who are that virtually everyone uses a pseud, and wouldn't dream of publishing their own real name and home address. SO WHAT MADE SOMEONE THINK THEY HAD THE RIGHT TO DO IT WITH MINE??

I'm sorry it's having to end this way, but it has become painfully obvious that it is impossible to stem the tide of on-line indiscretion. I never agreed to having my name and address spread all over cyberspace, where any flake out there can find it, and I refuse to accept that condition now. The only alternative left is to eliminate the subject thereof, i.e. the former Library.

To paraphrase the song, "We fought Technology, and Technology won." It was good while it lasted.

February 1996

From Starsky & Hutch Adzine & Newsletter #15 (February 1996):

Sad news about the S&H Fanzine Library closing because some person chose to override [Barbara F's] wishes about NOT posting information about its existence on any online service; the Library existed for us, NOT the general public.... STARSKY & HUTCH FANZINE LIBRARY IS CLOSED! When Barbara F., the Librarian, opened the Library she asked that its existence NOT be posted on any online service. She opened the Library only to us, NOT to anyone with a modem. Some person chose to override Barbara's wishes. Because of this person's action, we no longer have a fanzine Library. About posting any Fanzine info or their Editors on the Net, etc. Please don't! I do NOT want any info about this OR from this Adzine or FRIENZ posted anywhere on the Net, or any online service or the BBSs etc. I know that many other Editors also DO NOT want any info posted about their publications on the Net or any online service. Please ask any fanzine Editor first whether she objects to info about her publication being posted ANYWHERE on the Net or any online service etc. Thank you.

March 1996

Final note regarding the former zine Lending Library: the person who runs the Zebrathree e-mail list, coincidentally a former Library member also, checked into the matter and assures me that the Library was not publicly mentioned on the list. She thinks what happened is that the guy who wrote me heard about it in "private" e-mail from someone else he met via that list.

This is some comfort; however, it still doesn't address my basic concern, which was, who is this guy and does he know about slash, etc.? Linda McGee and I discussed this further and agreed to accept this incident as a good, no-damage-done warning. If we’d kept the Library open, it was bound to happen for real sooner or later. Another former member has also spoken of the former Library listed in something like 'chain e-mail', which she said was distributed so indiscriminately that they couldn't trace it back to the source. This is not reassuring. So the upshot of it all is, apparently the Zebrathree list was not at fault here, but the Library will not be resurrected nevertheless.

Linda and I agree we have an obligation to protect not only ourselves, but also the writers and publishers of these older zines, most of which came out before the computer nets even existed.

For those who say S&H is a dead property and Spelling-Goldberg or whoever have nothing to gain from it any more, I would mention in passing that in the last month or so I have acquired two S&H shirts, both of which carry 1995 copyrights.

General Fan Comments About the Original Library

Now that I have finished with the material in the Library, I am hungry for more stories.

First of all, I’d like to Join those publicly thanking [Barbara] for her tireless work on behalf of the Lending Library. We speak by phone almost every week, so I know how many, many hours of her personal time she dedicated to meeting the needs of people who hungered for SH. Thank you, Barbara!

A 2000-01 Refurbishment

From a post by Flamingo on September 11, 2000:

For close to 10 years there has been a small institution called the Starsky & Hutch Lending Library. It contains a selection of out-of-print unabridged zines, both gen and slash, VHS episodes of the series, the Max Franklin books, and audio interviews of PMG and DS. The SH Library was started through the generosity of fans who donated used zines and videotapes, photocopies of out of print zines, and small gifts of money used to purchase photocopies and episodes.

However, the library is now worn out. The fanzines -- especially the slash collection -- have been loaned and loved nearly to death. Combs are broken, pages are crinkled and damaged, and the covers are falling off. In addition, over a dozen key episodes have been lost, as well as a set of letterzines. Zines have not been returned and are considered gone. Obviously, it is time to revamp the collection. We decided that the best way to revamp the collection would be to make a file "master" of each zine, since taking apart the zines and trying to photocopy hole-punched pages jams photocopiers and mutilates the already worn zines. Having an unpunched master will make it much easier to replace lost and worn zines in the future. We also want to make multiple copies of the most popular fanzines so that the burden of wear, tear, and stress could be spread out over several copies.

At first, it seemed that refurbishing the collection would be a fairly easy job. Several local fans got together, and one (anonymous) fan offered to donate a measurable sum to recopying the library. Nearly twelve work hours later and a $150.00 poorer, we realized that this was a job WAY too big for a few fans to accomplish.

We were hoping to use the con to help the library by renting a photocopier for the weekend to make zines for the library and for fans who would help fund the library by donating money for the zine of their choice. However, the price of renting a photocopier and paying to have it delivered and picked up again was so incredibly expensive we had to ditch that idea. So while the library will be able to be viewed at the con, we won't be able to make copies of it there.

And since preparing for a con is a considerable job in itself, we realized trying to re-institute the library at the same time was insanity. (Yes, even though some of you question this, we can recognize insanity when it slaps in the face!;-) ) So, for now, the library is in hiatus, at least until after the con.

Once the con is over and all con responsibilities under control (she slaps herself to keep from laughing maniacally), we are hoping to have an organized set of internet activities geared to helping us refurbish the library so we can have more out-of-print zines (or in-print zines if their editors wish to donate them), episodes, and other SH items that are hard to come by. We will need your help, but since the library is for you and for fans who cannot obtain zines through other means, we know you'll be willing to help.

But for now, the library is on hold, but we're hoping not for much longer.

From a post by Flamingo on June 30, 2001:

I wanted you guys to be the first to know some things about to happen. We're *very* close to opening the S&H Library. Very close. We're installing the carpeting, and putting up all the little "quiet please" signs and wiping down the shelves right now. For now we are probably going to only announce it here on VP, not because we don't like all our friends on the other lists, but The Committee doesn't want to get so overwhelmed right away that it can't function properly. After we get the first members on board and we can see how well we can provide this service to the fandom, we'll let the news out to other folks. We're still refurbishing the library from stuff it's lost over the years and that will be an ongoing task.

We do have some wonderful NEW surprises to offer -- clean copies of the never-really-published-as-a-zine-but-passed-around-from-fan-to-fan Vermont Avenue and Homecoming stories -- possibly my very favorite SH story of all time, some other refurbished zines newly presented clean and spiffy. AND -- thanks to the gracious generosity of our own April Valentine -- we will actually be able to offer copies of the color version of Murder on San Carmelitas! We're working on coming up with a few sets of uncut eps, too, but that's going to take a little more time. As I said, the library is an ongoing activity.

A 2001 Dilemma, and Possible Solution, for International Fans

On August 23, 2001, Flamingo posted:

I wanted to post this publicly since a number of fans from Canada, Europe, and Japan have been asking me if they can become members of the library. Typically, we hadn't thought that far. :-/

After some quick discussion among The Committee, we realized:

1) most of the library's losses occur during international mailings. No surprise. We know how hard it can be to safely get mail from one country to another, coming or going.

2) The cost of the mailings is prohibitive and by the time you've paid the mailing going and coming you've more than paid for the cost of producing the zine in the first place.

So, this is what we decided:

1) we can take advantage of the new Global Priority mailing system which gives you flat rates for postage to both Canada and overseas (there may be some areas not serviced, but we can cross that bridge when we come to it).

2) Global priority to Canada is $7 and overseas $9. This means you get to squeeze in as much as you can into a flat rate GP envelope for that price. There are bigger envelopes you can send stuff in but then the price goes up and it's not a stable fee.

3) $14 (Canada) and $18 Overseas can amount to a great deal more money for the people living in those countries. I know in Canada the exchange rate is almost double and it's worse in England. Don't know what it is in other countries like Germany and Japan, but it's expensive.

4) Because of the extravagant cost of the postage, and the high rate of zine loss shipping overseas, we've decided we will make copies of the zines (almost all are copies anyway) available for international fans and that the zines will only go *one* way. Depending on the size of the zine, we might have to charge for duplicating it (at 4 cents a side) but maybe not. We're still working out the economics of that. It may be possible that international fans' membership fees will cover it, especially since *that* fee costs them so much more to start with. We're still feeling our way around this.

5) Practically speaking, what this means is that some in-print zines may not be available to international fans because we won't copy them in deference to the generosity of the publishers. However, those zines are available from the source anyway. Most of the library is out of print. Since international fans can keep their zine copies, we are hoping they will make them available to other fans in their own countries to reduce the terrible mailing fees and extend the library to these hard to reach places.

This is what we're *thinking* of doing. We'd be interested in your input on this.

2006: The Library Closes

One reason:

This is partly due to the real-life obligations of the current librarian, and partly due to the impracticality of mailing pounds of paper back and forth all over the world. With the rising price of postage, it now costs more to mail zines back and forth then it would to copy the zines and let members keep them. Unfortunately, that's not a practical solution, either. The time involved for a librarian to copy the zines herself is simply prohibitive.

Another reason: As fans migrated to the Internet, many zine stories (slash and gen) became available online at the S & H Archive.

2010: A Reboot Plan

Starting in 2010, several volunteers began discussions as to how to bring the library and the out of print fanzines back into circulation again. One idea was to use an opt-in only model with offline distribution on timed-out CD disks:

Right now, we don't have [a solution], but we're working on it. We are considering scanning the zines and putting them on cds either as jpg images or pdfs. CDs are cheap to mail and people could print the zine if they wanted. In this way we could keep the zine's appearance as it originally looked. The zines we're lending out we either have permission to lend out, or their creators have either died or have disappeared completely. If zines go back into print, they come out of the library unless we get permission to keep them in circulation. We're still discussing this possibility and others. We aren't totally comfortable with taking the zines out of their paper format, as most of us feel that's their value -- they are paper zines. For people who have never had the joy of holding a paper zine in their hand, the library has been an important resource.

This CD solution never happened.