All Things Zines

The objective is to present a 60 minute panel discussion on the topic “All Things Zines” to highlight aspects of managing and preserving zine collections in Libraries and Archives. Our panelists offer a variety of perspectives and each has varying levels of experience with creating and managing zine collections. Running the gamut from an academic institution who has recently begun an archival collection, to a public library who is currently planning the development of a new zine collection with varying access points within the library system (including an archival component)—to an independent professional archivist, librarian, and consultant who has been active in the Austin Zine Community for over a decade. The session will highlight initiatives that include creating zines to promote collections; working with the local community to create a collaborative zine; promoting the creation and preservation of zines; as well as important considerations when starting a zine collection.

African-American Internationalism Represented in the Archives: The Marguerite Cartwright Papers

This panel presentation examines African-Americans and internationalism with a specific focus on the papers of United Nations correspondent Marguerite Cartwright (1910-1986). The Amistad Research Center received funding assistance to process the papers of Marguerite Cartwright, a UN Correspondent for the Pittsburgh Courier. Through her rich collection of writings, photographs, and collected materials, the Cartwright papers provide valuable documentation of the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans working within the UN, and post-war anti-colonialism. Additionally, Cartwright’s travels provide a wealth of materials for archival public outreach and education–two areas of SSA member interest. By providing access to these papers, ARC bolsters its collections involving African Americans and internationalism, which is an underrepresented area of study.

If You Don’t Ask, How Can You Know?: How User Experience Methods Add Human Insight to Archival Vision

Archivists passionately advocate for users of the materials they steward, but figuring out who users are, what they need, and how to provide it are not always easy tasks. This panel will offer insights on approachable ways that user experience (UX) research can benefit archives organizations and how archivists can get started. One panelist from the University of Texas at Austin School of Information will present findings from a small exploratory study of archivists’ views of UX in the archival enterprise. Another panelist will share experiences from a case study of UX and contextual inquiry in the design of work spaces and workflows at the University of Houston Libraries Special Collections. A third panelist from Oklahoma State University Library will share findings of a UX study, discuss the process used to remediate the archives’ web presence, and the integration of the new design within the library’s website hosted platform.