Tom Maher works in the areas of audio-visual collections, digital resources, and user education in the student library of the National College of Art and Design and manages The Forgotten Zine Archive in A4 Sounds. Their work with the zine archive consists of acquiring and cataloguing material for the collection; managing storage and access to the collection; facilitating researchers in their use of the collection; conducting outreach of various kinds to build awareness of the collection’s value and to make links with zine-makers; curating and participating in exhibitions of zines from the collection; delivering lectures to interested groups about the history of zines and their contemporary practice.

Prior to working in academic libraries, their career has taken them through the world of rare books, commercial retailing, video licensing, and school libraries. They graduated from UCD in 2011 with a BA in Philosophy — specialising in the philosophy of language of Late Wittgenstein and the proto-functionalism of Wilfrid Sellars — and returned to complete a Master of Library and Information Science with the class of 2013. Research interests include the intersection of libraries and the alternative press, zines and DIY culture, the political economy of digital spaces, and new media art practice.