>> I don’t know the usual fannish places for journals? <<
Mostly conventions; there is usually someone selling fanzines. Some fandoms have a central organization that lists fanzines. Some hobby shops have a rack of magazines and fanzines. The academic journals sometimes appear in these places, although they're a bit off on a tangent.
>> I usually just see what academic journals I can find online. I'll try contacting a local university library and see how quickly they escort me from the premises.<<
Tell the library staff that you are doing research, a one-sentence summary of your topic, and the category of academic journals you wish to locate. Even if that library only admits students and staff, there's a reasonable chance that a librarian will just tell you the information or where else you might find it. State or community colleges are more likely to have an open-access policy because they are taxpayer-supported. A handful of colleges have a Tolkien program of some sort and would be the best bet to have such journals, even if they aren't near where you live. Places like that are usually used to people calling in or visiting for research purposes. Special collections often have their own rules separate from the main campus library precisely because most libraries don't have that material, so folks have to share it.
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Re: Thoughts
Date: Jan. 30th, 2026 22:37 (UTC)Mostly conventions; there is usually someone selling fanzines. Some fandoms have a central organization that lists fanzines. Some hobby shops have a rack of magazines and fanzines. The academic journals sometimes appear in these places, although they're a bit off on a tangent.
>> I usually just see what academic journals I can find online. I'll try contacting a local university library and see how quickly they escort me from the premises.<<
Tell the library staff that you are doing research, a one-sentence summary of your topic, and the category of academic journals you wish to locate. Even if that library only admits students and staff, there's a reasonable chance that a librarian will just tell you the information or where else you might find it. State or community colleges are more likely to have an open-access policy because they are taxpayer-supported. A handful of colleges have a Tolkien program of some sort and would be the best bet to have such journals, even if they aren't near where you live. Places like that are usually used to people calling in or visiting for research purposes. Special collections often have their own rules separate from the main campus library precisely because most libraries don't have that material, so folks have to share it.