Title: Alternative Press Centre Records
Inclusive Dates: 1969-2008

Creator:

• Alternative Press Centre

Call Number: U.S. Mss 131AF; M86-096; M86-527; M2013-183

Quantity: 2.8 c.f. (7 archives boxes); plus additions of 2.5 c.f. and 44 photographs

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Records of a non-profit collective that produced the Alternative Press Index. Alphabetically arranged correspondence, which comprises the bulk of the collection, documents the center's editorial activities and its financial difficulties. A small miscellaneous file includes an advertising brochure, financial reports, a brief history, sample indexing sheets, a list of periodicals indexed, and a newsletter.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-us0131af

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The Alternative Press Centre is a non-profit collective that indexes selected publications of the politically left-oriented alternative press and publishes an Index to them in a format similar to the traditional Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature. Originally named the Radical Research Center, the organization was founded in 1969 by a group of activist students and faculty at Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota, who wanted to make the information and perspective contained in the growing number of alternative periodicals available to more people. By issuing an Index the Center hoped to make the periodicals more easily accessible by giving librarians an incentive for establishing alternative press collections and by providing readers with a research tool.

To begin operation the Radical Research Center discovered what underground papers existed, determined which periodicals to index, organized and coordinated a national network of volunteer indexers, developed a new subject heading list to adequately index topics reported in alternative periodicals, produced a computer program to compile the data, and organized an office staff to handle routine inquiries, subscriptions, and complaints. In addition the Center also hoped to act as an information clearinghouse by reproducing specific articles that were not widely available. Although the project did receive one grant from the Danforth Foundation in October 1969, the Center depended on subscriptions and donations for a financial base and on volunteer indexers as a work force.

The first Index was issued in February 1970, and covered a diversity of publications ranging from the New Republic and Trans-Action to Leviathan and the Berkeley Barb. It included periodicals in local areas and a representative sample of publications covering the current political movements such as old left, new left, women's liberation, gay rights, and the anti-war movement. However, after the first issue, the Center had difficulty maintaining a quarterly publishing schedule. The students responsible for the Center's operation eventually realized that the project required more than volunteers to coordinate publication of the Index. Therefore, in the summer of 1970 some of those involved formed a collective and began working full time at the Center.

In 1972 the Center moved to Rochdale College, a free university in Toronto, Canada, where it could be assured complete autonomy from the university administration. Because of negative reaction to the term “Radical Research” and because the name never accurately described the Center's activities, the Center was incorporated in Canada under the name Alternative Press Centre. A collective staff of three people continued to do the office work, computer work, and publishing in Toronto while a staff of 60-100 volunteers continued to index approximately 150 periodicals. However, a lack of money and people still plagued the Centre in Canada, and in November 1973, it ceased publication.

Finally in July 1975, a new staff took over the Centre and moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where it began indexing 1974 periodicals. The Centre also established an Alternative Periodical Information Centre which served as a library for its accumulated collection of over 150 titles of newspapers, magazines, and newsletters.

This collection was received in multiple parts from the donor(s) and is organized into 4 major parts. These materials have not been physically interfiled and researchers might need to consult more than one part to locate similar materials.

• Part 1 (U.S. Mss 131AF): Original Collection, 1969-1975
• Part 2 (M86-096): Additions, 1985
• Part 3 (M86-527): Additions, 1975-1985
• Part 4 (M2013-183): Additions, 1970-2008

Acquisition Information

Presented by the Alternative Press Centre via Peggy D'Adamo, College Park, Maryland, September 30, 1975 and by James Danky, Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, January 9, 1976. Accession Number: MCHC75-114, MCHC76-54, M86-096, M86-527, M2013-183

Processing Information

Processed by C. Rongone, June 30, 1976.

U.S. Mss 131AF	Part 1 (U.S. Mss 131AF): Original Collection, 1969-1975 Physical Description: 2.8 c.f. (7 archives boxes)  Scope and Content Note The records of the Alternative Press Centre are organized into two sections: correspondence and a miscellaneous file. The correspondence, (1969-1973)-1975, comprises the bulk of the collection and documents the activities of the Centre in issuing the Index. It reveals staff efforts to devise new subject headings for topics not adequately indexed by traditional headings; to organize a work force of volunteer indexers across the country by contacting interested persons, sending initial instructions, and assigning indexers to publications; to determine which publications to index in each issue; to contact periodicals for establishing subscription exchange programs; to advertise the Index in alternative periodicals and library journals; and to answer routine business correspondence regarding requests for information about the Index and for subscriptions. Although its major activity was publishing the Index, the correspondence also indicates that the Alternative Press Centre informally acted as an information clearinghouse and frequently received requests from people about alternative institutions, the alternative press, and their related research needs. The correspondence also records the problems the Centre encountered including the lack of funding; the failure of interested people to stay with the project; the difficulty of establishing and revising new subject headings; the uncertainty of coordinating a widespread work force of volunteers; and subscribers' complaints caused by the Centre's irregular publishing schedule. The miscellaneous file is only a small portion of the collection. It includes an advertising brochure, a financial report, a sample of the indexing sheets used in preparing Volume VI, No. 1 of the Index, a brief history of the Centre, a list of indexed periodicals, and a newsletter sent to the volunteer indexers. In addition to the manuscript materials, the library of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin has the following publications of the Alternative Press Centre: a complete set of the Alternative Press Index; an “Indexing Guide for Publications dated 1973”, which is an instruction booklet sent to volunteer indexers; and [Miscellaneous publications], composed of an education committee report and a newsletter.
	Series: Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   1	Abacus Books - AMS Press
Box   1 Folder   2	Anderson, Arthur - Axel, Paul
Box   1 Folder   3	Babcock, Julie - Benson, Toni
Box   1 Folder   4	Bergen, Dan - Boyd, Trenton
Box   1 Folder   5	Brackett, Becca - Buttrick, Ann
Box   1 Folder   6	Cable Report - Canyon Collective
Box   1 Folder   7	Care, Molly - Cazenovia College
Box   2 Folder   1	CBS 60 Minutes - Cloutier, Andre
Box   2 Folder   2	Coberly, Jean - Cozzi, Jean
Box   2 Folder   3	Craft, Bob and Pam - C. W. Post College
Box   2 Folder   4	Daily Journal - Day, Jean
Box   2 Folder   5	D'Emilio, John - Diversity Press
Box   2 Folder   6	Dobson, John - Dysinger, Bob
Box   2 Folder   7	Earlham College - Emory University
Box   3 Folder   1	Englund, Lynn - Eyewitness
Box   3 Folder   2	Fact - Futas, Elizabeth
Box   3 Folder   3	GAA Liberation Library - Gowdy, Laura
Box   3 Folder   4	Grace, Charles - Gwynn, Betsy
Box   3 Folder   5	Haarz, Mark - Hitchhikers International
Box   3 Folder   6	Ho, Thomas - Hysteria
Box   3 Folder   7	I.D.C. - Isma, Steve
Box   3 Folder   8	Jackson, Jim - Juarez, Hector
Box   4 Folder   1	K101 - Knueklis, George
Box   4 Folder   2	Kocher, Debbie - Kyson, Harleigh
Box   4 Folder   3	Labor Today - Lewerenz, Cindi
Box   4 Folder   4	Liberated Guardian - Lycoming College
Box   4 Folder   5	MacDougall, Kent - McVeigh, Tom
Box   4 Folder   6	Macalester College - M.A.Y.O.
Box   4 Folder   7	Mechtenberg, Paul - Mitchell, Toni
Box   5 Folder   1	Moberg, George - Mysterious East
Box   5 Folder   2	Narvesen Litteraturtjenste - New World Resource Center
Box   5 Folder   3	New York Element - Next Year Country
Box   5 Folder   4	Nickel Review - Nygaard, Jeff
Box   5 Folder   5	Oakland, City of - Ozark Access Center
Box   5 Folder   6	Pace College - Petty, Leonard
Box   5 Folder   7	Pflaum, Peter - Putta, Barbara
Box   5 Folder   8	Quebec-Presse - Quinnipiac College
Box   6 Folder   1	Race Relations Information Center - Riverside, University of California
Box   6 Folder   2	The Roach - Ryan, Ruth
Box   6 Folder   3	Sacramento State College - Scottsdale, P.L.
Box   6 Folder   4	Seaman, Martha - Snyder, Milton
Box   6 Folder   5	Social Alternatives, Library of - Stilger, Robert
Box   6 Folder   6	Stockton State College - Sywak, Myron
Box   7 Folder   1	Tacoma Community College - Two Three Many
Box   7 Folder   2	Ulitt, Barbara - Uzzell, Thomas
Box   7 Folder   3	Vahtsevanos, Stephanie - Voz Mexicana, La
Box   7 Folder   4	Waddell, Bonnie - Weston, Terry
Box   7 Folder   5	Wheaton College - Wisconsin, University of-Parkside
Box   7 Folder   6	Wolter, Patricia - Wyer, Judith
Box   7 Folder   7	X, Danny - Zupko, Danny
	Series: Miscellaneous File	⇧
Box   7 Folder   8	Advertising brochure, undated
Box   7 Folder   8	Financial report, 1971
Box   7 Folder   8	History of the organization
Box   7 Folder   9	Indexing sheets, sample
Box   7 Folder   10	List of periodicals included in Index
Box   7 Folder   10	Newsletters, 1970 July
M86-096	Part 2 (M86-096): Additions, 1985 Physical Description: 0.1 c.f. (1 folder)  Scope and Content Note: Photocopy of volume 16, issue number 2 of Sipapu which consists mainly of an interview on the Alternative Press Centre, 1985. The interview gives a brief history of the organization and its move from Carleton College to Toronto to its current home in Baltimore. In addition there are profiles of the four members of the collective and a detailed description of how the collective is organized and how it functions.	⇧
M86-527	Part 3 (M86-527): Additions, 1975-1985 Physical Description: 0.6 c.f. (2 archives boxes)  Scope and Content Note: Additions, 1975-1985, consisting of correspondence between the Alternative Press Centre and other publishers primarily regarding the inclusion of publications in the Alternative Press Index. Letters are arranged alphabetically by correspondent.	⇧
Box   1	A-F
Box   2	G-Z
M2013-183	Part 4 (M2013-183): Additions, 1970-2008 Physical Description: 1.8 c.f. (1 record center carton and 2 archives boxes) and 44 photographs (1 folder)  Scope and Content Note: Additions, 1970-2008, that consisting of correspondence, financial records, meeting minutes, newsletters, articles, and promotional documents. The correspondence between the Alternative Press Centre and other publishers consists primarily of letters regarding the inclusion of publications in the Alternative Press Index. The financial records consist of budgets, grant proposals, and tax records, while newsletters and articles feature pieces written by and about the centre's editorial activities. Photographs provide images of the centre's work in a variety of libraries.	⇧
Box   1 Folder   1-2	Historical notes, 1970s-1980s
Box   1 Folder   3-23	Correspondence, 1980s-1990s
	Financial Records
Box   1 Folder   24-25	Budgets and financial notes, 1994-2008
Box   1 Folder   26	Grant proposal, 1990s
Box   2 Folder   1	Grant proposal, 1990s
Box   2 Folder   2	Tax exemptions, 1969, 1976-1982
	Meeting Minutes
Box   2 Folder   3-5	Board minutes, 1990-2007
Box   2 Folder   6-9	Staff minutes, 1992-1999
	Newsletters and Writings
Box   3 Folder   1	Alternative Press Index reviews, 1970-1989
Box   3 Folder   2	Writing agreements, 1996-2003
Box   3 Folder   3-5	Independent Press Association newsletters, 1996-2005
Box   3 Folder   6	Labor Index On-Line
Box   3 Folder   7	Readers' guides, 1980s
	Projects and Events
Box   3 Folder   8	Alternative Press Index on CD-ROM
Box   3 Folder   9	Alternative Press Spanish and French project, 2000s
Box   3 Folder   10	Alternative Press Centre promotion, 2000s
Box   3 Folder   11	Sponsored events, 1996, 2002-2012
PH Box   33	Photographs