This question comes up a lot, so I thought I'd weigh in.
Most zines were produced for raw communication, for limited audiences, with altruistic intentions, and/or in defiance of traditional print publishing goals. In other words, not usually intended for profit. For those reasons, they often exist in an ethical terrain that can be hard to navigate. Is it OK to archive something that was intended to be ephemeral? Can I buy or sell something that may never have been intended for resale? If I believe in access and freedom of information, should this be limited to an exclusive institution? Conversely, do I owe it to creators of zines to preserve their pubs in the most democratic means possible?
Many institutions aka libraries would love your donations. They are building zine collections for research. Some of these libraries offer access to all. Others do not. However, I have always maintained that a library - of any kind - is probably the best place for your zines to end up. It might not have the same radical intent that birthed them, but it is most likely scenario that will give a new generation the opportunity to benefit from them. Sure, alternate spaces exist that offer zines, but consider the lifespan of a given project and ask yourself if the home is temporary or will stand the test of time.
I deal with lots of libraries that want zines. Many of them ask for donations. They won't pay for items. They claim they have no budget, or can only pay a token amount. They also want the best items, of course. This is a hard pill to swallow. The buildings with marble hallways, mahogany shelves, and an army of librarians can't afford the very material that gives them purpose?
Additionally, the price I ask for a zine is only part of its true cost to a library. The item must be catalogued and assimilated into the library system. That alone can easily rival its sale price. For zines, this is especially true, as they present unique challenges for any archivist in determining origin: author, location, date, or even title/issue number. If a library can't afford to buy zines, how does it think it will find resources to catalogue them?
Another point of consideration is deaccessioning. Libraries will get rid of items that are duplicates or don't serve their purpose. This process is generally opaque and does not consult the original owner. In some cases, the items are even resold. Does a donor know this upfront? If they did, would they feel comfortable giving up their collection to an uncertain fate?
For these reasons, I strongly advocate for people to SELL their zines, to whatever entity will receive them. This way, a value is assigned to them that helps assure they are wanted and can be properly utilized. A library will think twice about committing to a collection - or abandoning it - when they've paid money for it up front.
The biggest problem, though, is that many people don't know what to do with their zine collections, and they panic. Most just end up in the trash. Please don't do that. If a library doesn't want them - or doesn't want to pay you for them - please get in touch and I'll see what I can do for you.
