This exhibit dives into the history of alternative publishing and zines - highlighting the reasons behind needing an outlet for underrepresented and marginalized groups to have their voices heard. Through political and societal unrest mainstream outlets have often focused on more dominant narratives and zines, as well as other alternative publishing mechanisms, are a direct response to the need for other narratives to be heard.
As our one of workshop presenters and zinester Rhonda Kauffman so aptly described them "zines (rhymes with “beans”) are independently published, photocopied, do-it-yourself publications that -- particularly during times of social/economic unrest -- provide an outlet for creative, emotional, and personal exploration." They offer a space for authors to creatively analyze society and create a community of practice for all voices, while encouraging new connections and creative networks among the disenfranchised.
The history of zines has seen them utilized to tell the stories of and build community predominately for underrepresented groups. There have been large movements towards building spaces for BIPOC voices, feminist collectives, STEM professionals and students, LGBTQIA+ narratives, and more. There has also be a substantial focus on self care and mental health within zine culture and using these publications to destigmatize one's experience within society.
Informed Agitation: Library and Information Skills in Social Justice Movements and Beyond by
Be sure to check out presenter Rhonda Kauffman's chapter in this book.
In librarianship today, we encourage voices from our field to join conversations in other disciplines as well as in the broader culture. People who work in libraries and are sympathetic to, or directly involved in, social justice struggles have long embodied this idea, as they make use of their skills in the service of those causes. From movement archives to zine collections, international solidarity to public library programming, oral histories to email lists, prisons to protests - and beyond - this book is a look into the projects and pursuits of activist librarianship in the early 21st century.
Girl Zines: Making Media, Doing Feminism by
With names like The East Village Inky, Mend My Dress, Dear Stepdad, and I'm So Fucking Beautiful, zines created by girls and women over the past two decades make feminism's third wave visible. These messy, photocopied do-it-yourself documents cover every imaginable subject matter and are loaded with handwriting, collage art, stickers, and glitter. Though they all reflect the personal style of the creators, they are also sites for constructing narratives, identities, and communities. Girl Zines is the first book-length exploration of this exciting movement. Alison Piepmeier argues that these quirky, personalized booklets are tangible examples of the ways that girls and women 'do' feminism today. The idiosyncratic, surprising, and savvy arguments and issues showcased in the forty-six images reproduced in the book provide a complex window into feminism's future, where zinesters persistently and stubbornly carve out new spaces for what it means to be a revolutionary and a girl. Girl Zines takes zines seriously, asking what they can tell us about the inner lives of girls and women over the last twenty years.
A page from the zine In Balance / Imbalance from the Greater Chaco Art Zines.
Zines are part of a long history of alternative publishing mechanisms. Sometimes these different forms of sharing of information can be considered as grey literature. Many times these forms of alternative publishing are created due to the exclusionary nature of more well known outlets, such as scholarly journals and popular news sources. This is done in order to distribute the necessary work and voices of communities that have been left out of mainstream representations. Other times alternative publishing can also serve as a way to offer different viewpoints of issues through other mediums. An example of this is Graphic Medicine (see more information in tab for "Graphic Medicine").
There has also been a push in much of academia, but especially the sciences, to make more work open access. This issue intersects with some of the reasons alternative publishing mechanisms were created in the first place. For instance, the UNM Digital Repository has scholarly works and alternative forms of publishing in an open access database - including a COVID Reflections section. Find more information on the UNM Repository and open access with the links listed below.
As the National Library of Medicine (NLM) Exhibit Graphic Medicine defines it:
"Graphic medicine communicates the author’s personal experience of illness and health, as the art adds subjective, emotional impact. The author’s internal, individual viewpoint balances the external, clinical realm of medical symptoms and diagnoses. Additionally, for other patients who share that health issue, it’s a way to have company and share information."
Being able to share emotional and real discussions on navigating health issues, and the healthcare system, in a visual and personal way allows us to look at healthcare from a more humanistic lens.
By viewing the resources here you can get a more in-depth overview of zines. Though the oftentimes cited beginning of zines is from sci-fi fan magazines from the 1930s there is a long history of subversive publications, like pamphlets, that are connected to the evolution of zines. This includes work done by creators during the Harlem Renaissance. Much of how zines are created now can be traced to the Riot Grrrl Movement that began in the early 1990s and was grounded in the Punk scene and feminism.
Girl Zines: Making Media, Doing Feminism by
With names like The East Village Inky, Mend My Dress, Dear Stepdad, and I'm So Fucking Beautiful, zines created by girls and women over the past two decades make feminism's third wave visible. These messy, photocopied do-it-yourself documents cover every imaginable subject matter and are loaded with handwriting, collage art, stickers, and glitter. Though they all reflect the personal style of the creators, they are also sites for constructing narratives, identities, and communities. Girl Zines is the first book-length exploration of this exciting movement. Alison Piepmeier argues that these quirky, personalized booklets are tangible examples of the ways that girls and women 'do' feminism today. The idiosyncratic, surprising, and savvy arguments and issues showcased in the forty-six images reproduced in the book provide a complex window into feminism's future, where zinesters persistently and stubbornly carve out new spaces for what it means to be a revolutionary and a girl. Girl Zines takes zines seriously, asking what they can tell us about the inner lives of girls and women over the last twenty years.
Join us for the series Zines: Self-Care and Making Your Voice Heard. This is a 3 part series. You do not need to attend every session but you do need to register for every session you will be attending. Registration for each workshop is capped at 20 participants to allow for enhanced engagement.
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The organizers of each workshop put together this collaborative playlist of what they like to listen to when making zines/creating/writing. Listen while you create your own zine or even just explore this exhibit. Ideal on shuffle!
