P4 collects all materials relevant to slam history, but we do have our priorities. We direct most of our focus and energies toward collecting recorded events and other audio and video works, and then primarily from slam's first twenty-five years.

Other materials, such as books, chapbooks, records, artifacts, and other ephemera are also welcome in our collection dependent on our formal Collection Guidelines and at the discretion of the Collection Curator. Contact Mongo [at] PoetryPreservation.org (Contact us) for any more information needed.

Collection Priorities

P4 collects materials relevant to the history of the poetry slam movement, with a focus on recorded works and events from the slam's first twenty five years (1987 -2012). Other materials may also be included in the collection based on these guidelines and at the discretion of the Collection Curator.

High value materials to be collected, by priority:

1. Live venue recordings from slams, including all recorded elements, such as the open mic, feature, slam, and incidental materials caught during such recordings.
2. Compilation albums of slam poets, in any format (tape, disk, born digital, etc.) such as those made by teams, venues, and touring companies.
3. Personally produced showcase albums of slam poets, in any format (both individual poets and compilations), as well as individual home or amateur recordings by recognized figures in the slam community.
4. Professionally produced albums of slam poets, in any format (both individual poets and compilations).
5. Chapbooks and books by slam poets, especially those which provide printed versions of performances in the P4 performance collection.

Time periods to be collected, by priority:

1. Material from the first 25 years of the poetry slam, from 1987 to 2012.
2. Material from after 2012 and up to the present day.
3. Materials dating from prior to the introduction of slam, but which can be shown to have had a meaningful influence on the development of the slam.

Lower priority for collection, but still in scope:

1. Ephemera from slam venues, such as posters, publicity materials, etc.
2. Records from slam venues and organizers, such as signup sheets, meeting records, policies, procedures, and other historical materials.
3. Any recordings or other materials by or relating to poets where there is some indication they were influenced by, or had a meaningful influence upon, the slam, even though they would not be considered slammers themselves.
4. Oral histories of and/or by key figures in the poetry slam community.

Out of scope, and not to be collected:

1. Any recordings or other materials relating to poets without any clear history or connection with the poetry slam (unless there is some indication they were influenced by, on had a meaningful influence upon, the slam).
2. Artifacts and realia of non-informational value
3. Any other material not cleary in scope as per these guidelines.

Decisions on what materials to collect will be based on these guidelines, but are at the sole discretion of Collection Curator. 

If you have materials needing preservation that you would like to donate to P4, visit our Collections Contributions page!