Actually, and I'll double check with our legal team on this, I think most if not all zines ARE copyrighted, not only because many zine editors were quite careful to note copyright information on their Table of Contents page, but presumptively: fanfiction on the web is copyrighted too, and belongs to its author just as much as any published work! This project is absolutely not about violating an author's copyright: as you say, the zines would be treated like any other book or manuscript under the fair use laws typical of libraries. (Just the way you might donate a collection of books you don't want to your local library.)
As you say: typically fair use does NOT encompass copying an entire zine, particularly if that zine is still available for purchase. That being said, I don't know how closely Iowa would police such a thing; I know that as a graduate student, *cough*, I did occasionally photocopy large chunks of books! I can only say that is not the design or intention of either the OTW or Iowa, and while we definitely want fans and scholars to have access (which is why we're hoping eventually to get permission to digitize from authors, artists, zine editors, etc.) there are easier ways to read fanfic! (unless, of course, as I noted above, you're a huge fan of a particular editor, author, or artist, and are dying to read that story you read 20 years ago and never thought you'd find again!)
Actually, and I'll double check with our legal team on this, I think most if not all zines ARE copyrighted, not only because many zine editors were quite careful to note copyright information on their Table of Contents page, but presumptively: fanfiction on the web is copyrighted too, and belongs to its author just as much as any published work! This project is absolutely not about violating an author's copyright: as you say, the zines would be treated like any other book or manuscript under the fair use laws typical of libraries. (Just the way you might donate a collection of books you don't want to your local library.)
As you say: typically fair use does NOT encompass copying an entire zine, particularly if that zine is still available for purchase. That being said, I don't know how closely Iowa would police such a thing; I know that as a graduate student, *cough*, I did occasionally photocopy large chunks of books! I can only say that is not the design or intention of either the OTW or Iowa, and while we definitely want fans and scholars to have access (which is why we're hoping eventually to get permission to digitize from authors, artists, zine editors, etc.) there are easier ways to read fanfic! (unless, of course, as I noted above, you're a huge fan of a particular editor, author, or artist, and are dying to read that story you read 20 years ago and never thought you'd find again!)