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First and foremost, I am writing an tribute to the Library of Moria for Cultus Dispatches. As some of you may know, the LoM is closing its doors and moving its fanworks to AO3 via the Open Doors project. The site existed as an independent archive for twenty years. TWENTY YEARS. That's an amazing accomplishment and service to the Tolkien fanworks community.
I've been in touch with the mods, but I'd love to hear too from people who used and loved the Library of Moria in any capacity (even if it was "just" to read and enjoy the fanworks--fanworks and not fic because they were accepting artwork long before the rest of us got around to making that happen). If you would like to share your experiences and memories with the LoM, comment here with the best way to get in touch with you, DM me through this site (or any of my other social sites!), or email me at DawnFelagund@gmail.com.
That means that the SWG is in an increasingly dwindling pool of independent Tolkien fanworks archives. This gives me Big Feelings, obviously. Yesterday and today, I spent several hours going back through old LoM content from the previous twenty years, trying to get a sense of the history and culture of the site beyond its Fanlore entry. And I came across this from Azzy:
This honestly broke my heart because it says so simply and bluntly what I often skirt around in talking about the SWG because I've learned the hard way that critiquing AO3 can be akin to touching the third rail. (And to be fair, AO3 weathers its share of unfair criticism.) I do support AO3, as I have said a thousand times before if I've said it once, but as the owner of an independent archive, I am going to take Azzy's lead and be blunt and say that we also need to acknowledge that damage it is doing and has done to our communities as well.
When I moved to the Northeast Kingdom--the most rural (and poorest) part of Vermont--from Maryland, I was staunchly anti-Walmart. And, at the time, Vermont had only one Walmart--the only U.S. state that could boast so low a number. When I moved here seven years ago, I would rather fashion an object by hand using sticks and Elmer's glue before I'd buy it at Walmart.
Then I moved to a community in the Kingdom that was in the midst of a losing battle against getting a Walmart. And I discovered that Walmart was way more complicated here than it was in Maryland. A lot of people who I thought would be against the Walmart supported it. But, you see, when I moved here, there was no place to buy underwear that did not require at least an hour's drive. (Other things too, but underwear was held up as the most illustrative example because we all wear it and we take for granted that it will be easily obtained.) That's fine if you have the privilege of a middle-class existence: enough money to afford that trip, a vehicle to get you there, and the kind of job where you work hours where you have the time to go. But for a many of my neighbors, the inability to buy underwear without an hour's drive was a serious burden. So despite a distaste for the corporation itself, many people welcomed the arrival Walmart in our community.
AO3 is fanfiction's Walmart.
It is not just a convenience but a lifesaver to small fandoms that are the equivalent of the Kingdom: too small and isolated to provide, on their own, the basics of everyday existence, the fannish equivalent of underwear.
But we also can't ignore the fact that AO3 didn't invent fandom or fanfiction or archives, and it arrived amidst many vibrant small, independent fanworks communities that already existed ... like the LoM and the SWG, incidentally. And just like Walmart has decimated the so-called "mom and pops," AO3 has devastated us. It is not just that people post and read there instead of with us. It is the McDonaldization of the fandom experience that forces us to justify how we do things against a constant backdrop of "But on AO3 ..." and prioritizes convenience over community and an organization's service to that community. Yes, you can get a quart of motor oil, a bunch of cilantro, and a waterproof electric razor all in one place! Yes, you can go into a store in Poughkeepsie and a store in Anchorage, and the Barbie dolls are always in Aisle 6! But if you think anyone in a blue vest actually gives a shit about the survival and betterment of your particular community (beyond any self-interest they might have as a member of that community themselves) to make a specific effort for you ... well, I've got an oceanfront property in Thargelion for you.
As I went through old posts on the LoM LJ, what struck me was the mods' care for their community and individual people in that community and the enormous amount of time and energy that they put into making sure that their community and authors were not just well served but celebrated. They ran challenges, held events, and promoted their authors' work. Every time Fandom flocked to a new platform, they were right there with them.
Again, I am not against AO3. I am glad it exists, and it serves an important function. (I shop at Walmart now too rather than drive an hour to buy undies.)
But I also don't want a world where Walmart is the only option, and the LoM's demise is a reminder that this is very possible. (It also does not escape me that AO3--via Open Doors--is the entity saving the LoM. Yes, this is better than it disappearing, but it still means that fanworks once produced for an independent archive with its own distinct community and culture are now available only on AO3. Or your local Thai restaurant just closed but you can get McNoodles! Yay.)
I like to think that it is possible to have both: to have AO3 and to have small, independent archives as well. But this will take intention and effort from people who agree with me because it's so easy to let convenience win out when you can get your tires rotated and buy your groceries while you wait. (Or find Sherlock smut and Tolkien fluff and a Legend of Zelda AU all in one place.)
To be clear (again), I'm not calling for a boycott or asking people to oppose AO3. I hope it continues to exist and thrive. So what can be done to also support small, independent archives?
I've been in touch with the mods, but I'd love to hear too from people who used and loved the Library of Moria in any capacity (even if it was "just" to read and enjoy the fanworks--fanworks and not fic because they were accepting artwork long before the rest of us got around to making that happen). If you would like to share your experiences and memories with the LoM, comment here with the best way to get in touch with you, DM me through this site (or any of my other social sites!), or email me at DawnFelagund@gmail.com.
That means that the SWG is in an increasingly dwindling pool of independent Tolkien fanworks archives. This gives me Big Feelings, obviously. Yesterday and today, I spent several hours going back through old LoM content from the previous twenty years, trying to get a sense of the history and culture of the site beyond its Fanlore entry. And I came across this from Azzy:
So with the decrease in stories on LoM, and the forum all but dead. I figured that I would attempt to set up a discord server for LoM. See we can't compete with A03, and it's as simple as that, but I know that the community is larger than what we see ...
This honestly broke my heart because it says so simply and bluntly what I often skirt around in talking about the SWG because I've learned the hard way that critiquing AO3 can be akin to touching the third rail. (And to be fair, AO3 weathers its share of unfair criticism.) I do support AO3, as I have said a thousand times before if I've said it once, but as the owner of an independent archive, I am going to take Azzy's lead and be blunt and say that we also need to acknowledge that damage it is doing and has done to our communities as well.
When I moved to the Northeast Kingdom--the most rural (and poorest) part of Vermont--from Maryland, I was staunchly anti-Walmart. And, at the time, Vermont had only one Walmart--the only U.S. state that could boast so low a number. When I moved here seven years ago, I would rather fashion an object by hand using sticks and Elmer's glue before I'd buy it at Walmart.
Then I moved to a community in the Kingdom that was in the midst of a losing battle against getting a Walmart. And I discovered that Walmart was way more complicated here than it was in Maryland. A lot of people who I thought would be against the Walmart supported it. But, you see, when I moved here, there was no place to buy underwear that did not require at least an hour's drive. (Other things too, but underwear was held up as the most illustrative example because we all wear it and we take for granted that it will be easily obtained.) That's fine if you have the privilege of a middle-class existence: enough money to afford that trip, a vehicle to get you there, and the kind of job where you work hours where you have the time to go. But for a many of my neighbors, the inability to buy underwear without an hour's drive was a serious burden. So despite a distaste for the corporation itself, many people welcomed the arrival Walmart in our community.
AO3 is fanfiction's Walmart.
It is not just a convenience but a lifesaver to small fandoms that are the equivalent of the Kingdom: too small and isolated to provide, on their own, the basics of everyday existence, the fannish equivalent of underwear.
But we also can't ignore the fact that AO3 didn't invent fandom or fanfiction or archives, and it arrived amidst many vibrant small, independent fanworks communities that already existed ... like the LoM and the SWG, incidentally. And just like Walmart has decimated the so-called "mom and pops," AO3 has devastated us. It is not just that people post and read there instead of with us. It is the McDonaldization of the fandom experience that forces us to justify how we do things against a constant backdrop of "But on AO3 ..." and prioritizes convenience over community and an organization's service to that community. Yes, you can get a quart of motor oil, a bunch of cilantro, and a waterproof electric razor all in one place! Yes, you can go into a store in Poughkeepsie and a store in Anchorage, and the Barbie dolls are always in Aisle 6! But if you think anyone in a blue vest actually gives a shit about the survival and betterment of your particular community (beyond any self-interest they might have as a member of that community themselves) to make a specific effort for you ... well, I've got an oceanfront property in Thargelion for you.
As I went through old posts on the LoM LJ, what struck me was the mods' care for their community and individual people in that community and the enormous amount of time and energy that they put into making sure that their community and authors were not just well served but celebrated. They ran challenges, held events, and promoted their authors' work. Every time Fandom flocked to a new platform, they were right there with them.
Again, I am not against AO3. I am glad it exists, and it serves an important function. (I shop at Walmart now too rather than drive an hour to buy undies.)
But I also don't want a world where Walmart is the only option, and the LoM's demise is a reminder that this is very possible. (It also does not escape me that AO3--via Open Doors--is the entity saving the LoM. Yes, this is better than it disappearing, but it still means that fanworks once produced for an independent archive with its own distinct community and culture are now available only on AO3. Or your local Thai restaurant just closed but you can get McNoodles! Yay.)
I like to think that it is possible to have both: to have AO3 and to have small, independent archives as well. But this will take intention and effort from people who agree with me because it's so easy to let convenience win out when you can get your tires rotated and buy your groceries while you wait. (Or find Sherlock smut and Tolkien fluff and a Legend of Zelda AU all in one place.)
To be clear (again), I'm not calling for a boycott or asking people to oppose AO3. I hope it continues to exist and thrive. So what can be done to also support small, independent archives?
- Post there, and not as an afterthought. I'm always a bit perplexed when I discover that someone has posted a fanwork for an SWG challenge to AO3 days before they bother to archive it with us, the community that supported its creation in the first place. Let the small archive have the scoop, even if just every now and then. Even better, let the small archive have the story for a few days before you crosspost to AO3.
- Link there. Again, we host events on the SWG, like book clubs, where every single fanwork submitted is linked to only on AO3, even if it is also posted on the SWG. Linking to a fanwork on an independent site brings newcomers to that site. It makes the site a relevant entity in the fandom. It brings people who are inclined to comment on the small archive, where it matters in a way it does not on AO3. (See below!) It reminds people that AO3 is not the only option--much less the default.
- And on that note, stop treating AO3 like the default. Just because that site is most familiar to you doesn't mean that is the correct or best way and that other sites have to change to match it. (Especially when those other sites are older and were likely the models off which AO3 is based!) Case in point: I use the SWG mostly, and posting to AO3 for me is like trying to post with lobster claws. Many things about that site feel wrong and awkward to me, not because they are wrong or awkward but because it's not what I'm used to.
- And finally: Comment there. I am the owner of the SWG, and if I post to both sites, people with accounts both places will nonetheless usually comment ... on AO3. AO3 is going to be fine whether people comment there or not. But people do leave independent archives all the time because "I don't get comments there." So commenting on a fanwork posted on an independent archive is one of the best things you can do to keep that archive alive.
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