Seeking smut: collaborations between researchers, librarians, and interlibrary loans in the study of sexuality and desire

Abstract

ABSTRACT Pornographic magazines are an important cultural and academic resource, but it can be challenging for both scholars and the librarians who support their work to find and access pornographic magazines for research purposes. Here we provide an in-depth examination of the value of pornographic magazines as a research resource, along with an overview of the history of their collection, preservation, and use in libraries and archives. We explore the issues researchers and librarians must contend with when trying to find and access pornographic magazines to use as source material, with attention paid to the unique challenges in obtaining them through interlibrary loan.