As an undergraduate majoring in English literature, Lauren Posklensky ’26MS was also drawn to courses in computer science. At the time, she was told these courses of study were “incompatible,” she recalls. “After graduating, I learned about library and information science, which merges both! That was really exciting for me.”
After working for a few years as a preschool teacher, Posklensky was eager to pursue a career that would allow time for her own research. She was drawn to Simmons School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) for its prime location in Boston and the opportunities for in-person learning, post-pandemic. While at the SLIS, Posklensky researched an interest she developed as an undergraduate in Vermont: punk music, and the independent, DIY community it fosters.
From Punk Music to Volunteer Librarianship
“I’ve always been interested in punk and grunge music,” says Posklensky. “My Dad and I used to play Green Day and Nirvana covers on guitar.”
While the terms “punk” and “DIY” may be distinct to some, Posklensky understands the core concepts underpinning each as interchangeable: a do-it-yourself mentality to creating and sharing music and culture without the support of the music industry, and often in defiance of mainstream culture.
It wasn’t until she attended college in Vermont that she was able to attend punk shows (often held in basements) and meet people in the small but vibrant DIY scene. She also volunteered at Big Heavy World, a small non-profit which housed a radio station, a CD library of independent artists and was, for a brief time, a venue for performances.
“It was a substance-free space, a safe space where I could learn about the local punk scene and start going to shows. There is a concept that the punk scene is caught up in drugs and alcohol, and that you have to be involved to be a part of it. The venue is divesting from that identity in order to celebrate the music, and to make it accessible for more people.”
The owner of Big Heavy also ran Jim’s Basement, another local substance-free venue, open to all ages. “I promoted some shows at Big Heavy, and he asked if I would run shows in the Basement as well.” Thus began her role as a freelance promoter, helping bands plan shows and connect with other venues.
Archives in Service to the Community
She also spent a lot of time with the materials at Big Heavy World. “It contained a history of punk music in Vermont, and the DIY scene, in particular, and was run almost entirely on grants, which were hard to get. At Simmons, I learned strategies that could help Big Heavy and other places like it, small and struggling organizations that need support.”
That said, Posklensky learned that creating a community archive isn’t automatically a morally good, or neutral, act.
“It can sometimes be harmful to communities that would rather not be exposed in that way,” she says. “It made me think about the power in archives, who holds the power, and who is making decisions. In archives classes, we talk about giving power to the community, but you still have an archivist telling people what is worth saving. How can I address this, as a member of the community and now as a professional?”
Initially, Posklensky wanted to write a paper on the subject, but thought an academic paper wouldn’t reach the community she aims to support. “The only people who will read an academic paper are people in the field. What will help people now?” She read about other regional archives collecting materials from local shows and bands, but didn’t find anything specific to New England, especially not focused on independent musicians.
Posklensky’s approach is a “Post-Custodial” archive, which digitizes materials but doesn’t retain them, allowing community members to keep materials that are important to them. “Someone might send you something, you digitize it, and then send it back. I liked that idea. I also have limited resources; I can’t build an archive in my bedroom.”
The participatory aspect is also important. “The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Museum of Pop Culture have great exhibitions, and the work they do is important. But they archive objects, and the reactions of people outside of the community. For me, they don’t capture the spirit of the community itself. I want to do this work in the spirit of the community, and allow them to be in charge of their own decisions of what they want to show the world.”
This work culminated in an independent study during her final semester at SLIS, with the guidance of Assistant Professor of Practice and Manager of Field Experience Mollie Metevier, who grew up in Vermont and was familiar with the local music scene.
“I pulled together all of these ideas, researched places doing similar things, what worked and what didn’t,” Posklensky says. “The independent study was great, because I could spend as much time as I wanted on the project. Professor Metevier was super supportive and understood that my choices sometimes ran counter to what I was taught in SLIS as standard practices in the archival field. Even larger institutions don’t have the resources for a lot of that. Community archives are making do with what they can and trying to do right by the community.”
While the punk scene may be built around the music, it includes all kinds of art making. Much of Posklensky’s archive focuses on “zines,” independently produced and disseminated publications. While many of these zines focus on punk music, others address mutual aid, sexual consent, anti-consumerism, and anti-capitalism. “I wondered if I should try to limit the archive to music, but that decision isn’t for me to make. The goal here is not to limit or control, but to help other people.” That said, she doesn’t intend to duplicate the work done by other zine archives, like the Massachusetts Flyer Archive, but instead to create connections between archives in support.
Preserving the objects themselves, be they zines about bands or other DIY ephemera, is only a portion of Posklensky’s mission. “I want to archive the stories people have, what made them happy about being a part of this scene, and what they want to share and celebrate.”
Presenting Research at the NEMLA Conference
Faculty member Elizabeth Berndt, whose course “Music Librarianship” (LIS 435) Posklensky had taken, encouraged her to apply to present her ongoing research at the New England Chapter of the Music Library Association (NEMLA) Spring conference. Posklensky was accepted and gave her presentation, "I’d Rather Stay Forever: On the Intersection of Punk Ethos and Radical Archival Practice in New England" at Harvard University in April. Her presentation received NEMLA’s "Best of Chapter" award, which includes an invitation to present at the national conference in March of 2027.
In addition, Posklensky took full advantage of the networking opportunity, handing out her resume at the conference. Two months later, she heard from a fellow conference attendee from Berklee College of Music, encouraging her to apply for an open position.
“I wasn’t even planning to look for a job until after graduation, but I decided to apply.” This summer, she began her part-time role as after-hours facilities supervisor at Berklee’s Library. “It’s a really welcoming environment,” she says. “They’ve given me a lot of trust and authority and support, and have encouraged me to apply for more grants for my punk archive.”
An Inclusive Archive
While her interest in punk music led Posklensky to the DIY scene, the ethos of the community has expanded beyond that focal point.
“In Vermont, we focused on accessibility. We ran a lot of shows that were pay-what-you-can. The music upholds a wider culture, but it’s a disservice to focus just on the music,” she says. “I want to try to honor that wider culture, while mindful of my perspective as a white woman who had the privilege to go to graduate school, to not try to define things and put them in a box.”
That said, her view of the punk scene is expansive, and inclusive. “It’s not for me to define punk for people, but my understanding of it includes the importance of community,” she says.