Why is Fan Culture Preservation important?
As Greg Prickman, Assistant Head of Special Collections at the University of Iowa, notes, “fan culture pre-dates and anticipates our modern remix mash-up internet culture.” The Special Collections department has a strong interest in preserving zines and fan culture: Iowa is already home to a huge (250,000) collection of science fiction and fantasy zines and APA zines, as well as a collection of Riot Grrrl and Underground Music Zines. Protecting and preserving “transformative fanworks and the innovative communities from which they have arisen,” is at the heart of OTW’s mission. Letterzines and fanzines are the tangible artifacts (and evidence of the existence) of the longstanding nature of our fan communities, many if which were historically underground. As our works are lost and people gafiate or pass away, that history vanishes. The OTW also believes in “making fannish activities as accessible as possible to all those who wish to participate.” By partnering with the University of Iowa
