Library Guides: Western Libraries Zine Collection: What are Zines?

What are Zines?

Zines are self-published and self distributed in small runs. They embody a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) ethos that empowers individuals to utilize the resources at-hand to independently create and share information.
Zines are not made for economic gain, but to share information and art. They are cheaply produced, and disseminated through trading or sold at accessible price points.
They are ephemeral works, usually photocopied, handmade, and highly visual.
Zines can be about anything! They can be educational, personal, political, and/or creative. As non-commercial works, they can facilitate discourse amongst those whose information needs and interests are not met or represented by commercial publishers.

Zines challenge the scholarly publishing status-quo which has become increasingly characterized by corporate consolidation (Crotty, 2023), threatening small and independent presses.
Zines counter harmful stigmas, beliefs, and assumptions about marginalized populations.
Zines present one opportunity for Western Libraries to divert funds from multinational publishing corporations towards local information creators or zinesters.
Zines are a low-barrier way for students and community members to share art and information with each other.

Zines are an accessible way to share your ideas, teach about something you're passionate about, and/or entertain readers with your creativity.
Make zines to get offline and retain ownership of your intellectual property.
Make zines to share with friends and family. Or better yet, make zines with friends and family.
Make zines because your point of view matters and you can!

Zines can be used as primary sources.
Zines connect students with marginalized voices, often absent from scholarly discourse.
Zines serve as a creative alternative to a research paper assignment.
Zines engage students with visual rhetoric.