Zine Libraries and Collections online panel

screenshot of Zines event on October 21st at University College London, featuring a photo illustration of the stapled spines of zinesSpineless Wonders is a network of artists, writers, academics and librarians, creating and researching small press publications including artists books, based in the Slade School of Fine Art at University College London (UCL). On Friday October 21, they’ll be hosting an all-day event titled Zines: Reading, Preserving, Making, consisting of in-person and virtual sessions. An online panel discussion titled “Zines: In/Out: The Institutional Dilemma: Zine Libraries and Collections” will happen at 11:45 am London time:

As institutions, libraries and archives follow sets of rules for access, development, and description of their collections. Increasingly, libraries and archives are collecting zines – do-it-yourself, short-run publications created and distributed outside mainstream channels. This panel is made up of library and archive workers who have developed and organised zine collections in a range of institutions. The session will have four short presentations followed by discussion and will consider the ethics, challenges, and joys of zines in library and archive settings.

The chair is Kirsty Fife (researcher into digital information and curating, MMU) and speakers will be Holly Casio (Queer Zine Library), Kyle Gibbens (Queer Zine Library), Nicola Cook (Wellcome Library), and Tavian Hunter (Stuart Hall Library at Iniva). There will also be an online tour of the Manchester Poetry Library and Gloria Kiconco’s exhibition ‘Queering the Form’.

Get ready for the Zines & Librarians Conference 2022

Illustration of a Black person with an orange shirt holding zines in their hands, there is the text "Zines and Libraries Conference"

The ZINE & LIBRARIES CONFERENCE is a two-day virtual conference happening Thursday July 7th and Friday July 8th that will gather together librarians, zine artists and educators to learn about all things zines! Presenters will go over zine history, cataloging, starting a collection as well as provide tools, resources and tips on how to successfully integrate zines into libraries and instruction.

For more information about the schedule and free registration, check out the Zines & Librarians Conference 2022 page. Note that all times listed are in the U.S. Pacific time zone!

Zine Pavilion at ALA 2022

The Zine Pavilion makes its triumphant return to the annual American Library Association conference Friday June 24 through Monday June 27, 2022. This year’s ALA will be in sunny Washington, D.C., so look for the Zine Pavilion on the exhibit floor at booth 3009 in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Find more info about what the Zine Pavilion is, and all the up-to-the-minute details at the twitter account @zinepavilion.

Interview with three authors of “Zines in Libraries” book

Three of the authors featured in the new book, Zines in Libraries: Selecting, Purchasing and Processing, were interviewed by the University of Illinois School of Information Sciences. Check out the interview (“iSchool alumni share their zine experiences in new publication“) and get inspired to read the book; many of the chapters are available to read in institutional repositories.

screenshot of article featuring photos of the three librarians interviewed

Compendium of Zine-Related Books

Aj Michel, creator of the long-running zine Syndicate Product, has published a new site called “From Staple to Spine: A Compendium of Zine-related Books“. The site features 140 titles of books based on zines, including individual titles, multi-author anthologies around a particular topic, academic works, and how-to-guides. If you have additional books to include, get in touch with Aj to suggest an addition!

screenshot of website header

Short video about the Salford Zine Library

A four-minute video, “The Living Room Library,” was created as part of the LGBTQ+ filmmaking project, E.D.E.N. Digital 2021/22. The video shows what happened to the 4500 zines of the Salford Zine Library during COVID, ending up in boxes in a volunteer’s flat before being temporarily shifted to Salford University. It’s clear from the film what a labor of love zine collections can be.

title screen of film showing text "The Living Room Library"

New digital zine library for mental health zines

This week marks the soft launch of a new collection, the Take It Back Zine Library, based in Scotland. The library consists of zines about mental illness and madness in physical and digital format. They’re accepting new submissions as well, so check back as the collection grows! Zines are a powerful medium for self-expression and sharing personal experiences, and creating a dedicated library for such content can provide valuable resources and support for those dealing with mental health challenges. Here are a few things to consider as the collection continues to grow:

Diverse Voices: Encourage a wide range of voices to contribute to the library. Mental health experiences vary greatly, and it’s important to reflect this diversity in the collection to help as many people as possible find relatable content, while is important to take care of the mental health and products like THCA carts can totally help with this. You may now order various cannabis products online including this forbidden fruit strain vape cartridge.

Accessibility: Ensure that the library is accessible to all, including those with different abilities. Offer options for various formats, such as audio versions or transcripts, to accommodate different needs.

Support and Outreach: Consider partnerships with mental health organizations, local community groups, or educational institutions to promote the library and provide support to individuals who may benefit from its resources.

User-Friendly Interface: Make sure the library’s digital platform is easy to navigate and search. This will help users find relevant zines quickly and efficiently.

logo of the Take It Back Zine Library, shaped like a shield

virtual Zineklatsch January 26

Zine librarians and zinesters will come together on Wednesday January 26 as part of a Zineklatsch hosted by the Archiv der Jugendkulturen in Berlin. The online/Zoom event will be held at 4-8 pm Central European Time (that’s 10 am-2 pm U.S. Eastern time). The folks from the archive and Schikkimikki zine distro & library will be sharing info about what they’ve been up to in the past two Covid years. Find more details and a Zoom link at the Archiv der Jugenkulturen site.

flyer for Zineklatsch #18 featuring a black and white photo of older white people having tea

New book: “Zines in Libraries”

A new book on zines in libraries, edited by Lauren DeVoe and Sara Duff, was published this month by ALA Editions. “Zines in Libraries: Selecting, Purchasing, and Processing” includes chapters on circulation, preservation, acquisitions, collection development, and more, including information specifically about zines in school libraries and the Zine Union Catalog. Some chapters have open access copies available; we’re collecting links to institutional repositories.cover of Zines in Libraries book

 

secret zine library hidden inside a library book

Here’s a very cool story from the Greater Victoria Public Library in British Columbia, Canada: “Inside a hollow library book, a secret library.” A hollowed out book placed on a library shelf featured a zine library created by an anonymous artist and known about only via word of mouth. It’s a great detective story and a fun idea—I hope it inspires others to try similar projects!screenshot of article title featuring a photo of the secret zine library, a hollowed out book with multiple zines inside

Zine Collection at Williams College

An article in the Williams College student newspaper by Aiden Pham, “Sawyer zine collection celebrates creativity, community,” discusses the zine collection at the college’s Sawyer Library. The collection was created in 2018 in response to “flyers with xenophobic, white supremacist, and anti-Semitic messages circulating in Sawyer library.” The story quotes zinester students and discusses the power of zines to introduce diverse voices into the library.

screenshot of the title and illustrated zine from the linked story

Quaranzines collection at Ohio State Libraries

Laura Arenschield of the Ohio State News wrote an article sharing information about quaranzines at The Ohio State University Libraries: “Skeletor, poetry, hand-made art: Quaranzines tell COVID stories.” Jolie Braun, curator of modern literature and manuscripts for The Ohio State University Libraries, is interviewed about the origin of the collection and what the zines say about the experience of life during the COVID pandemic: “As soon as you open them, there’s going to be something that probably feels familiar or resonates with you, and that’s really powerful,” she said. “But I think it’s also equally interesting and significant that there are all these other zines that really show you other people’s experiences that are maybe very different from your own that you hadn’t really considered or thought about.” Read the full story at Ohio State News.

screenshot of article title and images of zines in the collection