If you’re interested in learning more about zines for use in your courses, below are a few resources:
What are Zines??
- Intro to Zines on zinelibraries.info
“So, what is a zine?? There’s no official definition, but most will agree it’s a self-published work that has a limited print run (which can range from ten copies to around 5,000 copies). Zines are usually created with the intention not to profit monetarily but to share one’s thoughts, feelings, creativity, experience, and/or knowledge with others. Zines are part of a DIY (do it yourself) culture which often includes people from marginalized communities or those who don’t have access to more mainstream publishing options.” - Zines Research Guide from the CUNY Graduate Center Library
“Zines are handmade booklets, typically marked by collage elements and a DIY (do-it-yourself) aesthetic. This unique medium has traditionally flourished in activist spaces/movements like punk, riot grrl, and others. Feel free to check out the tabs above for specific guidance on zine research, scholarship, and more.” - Zines at the New York Public Library
Zines in the Classroom
- Zines as Open Pedagogy
“Often, when speaking about open pedagogy, the emphasis is on the digital: frequently listed examples include Wikipedia edit-a-thons, blog posts, and collectively annotated works. Yet the same principles (transparency, self-driven learning, student empowerment) are also strongly found in zines, a print medium that has long thrived in underground spaces and activist movements. There are many potential ways to integrate zines in alignment with open pedagogy, offering a way to bridge the physical and the digital. Bringing zines to the classroom introduces a playfulness and creativity, and “remix, reuse, and retain” takes on a different ring when applied to a print medium. With their use of collage elements, zines are the original “remix,” juxtaposed images adding a quirky twist.” - Teaching with Zines on zinelibraries.info
- Zine Lesson Plans from Barnard College
- Making the Syllabus Zine
