The bibliographical structure of fan information

To date, many mainstream ILS practitioners and educationalists have ignored fan‐produced literature due to the inherently ephemeral nature of the material and the fact that the majority of the information is outside normal bibliographic control. The advent of the Internet has provided fans with a new forum to create and exchange information, much of which is unparalleled in its richness and depth. This material can enrich library collections, while the growing sub‐cultures of electronic fan information can benefit from the skills offered by information professionals. Using case studies, the paper illustrates the range and depth of fan information on the Net and proposes a model to enable information professionals to utilise and control the wealth of fan‐based literature that is now becoming visible. The paper concludes that information professionals should re‐examine the world of fan‐based literature in order to become better informed about the information seeking activities of potential library users and to use their existing expertise to make links between the world of fan literature, and the resources of public and academic libraries.