Blog archives
I have other questions about Open Doors! Where should I ask them?
Please contact the Open Doors committee.
Can I leave my fannish collection to this project in my will?
Yes. Open Doors is in the process of developing a formal Fannish Estate Plan for fans wishing to donate their collections after they pass, but in the meantime, we can help you with appropriate wording for a bequest. Please contact the Open Doors committee for assistance or further questions. For questions about preserving your AO3 account in the event of your death or permanent incapacitation, check out the Fannish Next-of-Kin FAQ on AO3.
What are AO3 Memorial Archives?
AO3 Memorial Archives are collections of fanworks imported by Open Doors for creators who have passed away. These archives are primarily created by AO3 in collaboration with the deceased creator’s next of kin or designated Fannish Next-of-Kin. These collections are meant to preserve the legacy of creators after their passing, ensuring their works remain available—please contact the Open Doors committee if you want to honor a deceased creator by creating a memorial archive collection on AO3.
What is the Fan Culture Preservation Project?
The Fan Culture Preservation Project (FCPP) is the cooperative program that the OTW, through Open Doors, has with the Special Collections department at the University of Iowa and other partner institutions to archive and preserve fanzines and other non-digital forms of fan culture. It is dedicated to preserving fan artifacts such as letterzines, fanzines, and other non-digital fanworks and memorabilia at partner libraries and other institutions.
Why are you importing archives onto AO3? Why not just save the entire archive and host it on the OTW’s servers?
Preserving fannish history is a central part of Open Door’s mission—we love the plurality of fandom and want there to be many individual archives, and we want to ensure that if someone can no longer maintain an archive, this bit of fandom isn’t lost. While we’d love to be able to preserve the archives themselves, the resources required are too big. Each archive would need its own server space, a team of coders able to update and/or rewrite the code behind it, dedicated moderators, etc. By importing archives onto AO3 but making them into distinct collections, we are able to save the fannish creativity and… Read more