Archives & Special Collections acquired a collection of zines for use in research, teaching, and learning activities across campus and in the community. Zines (rhymes with “beans”) are low-barrier, low-budget, photocopied publications in which authors are in full control of the entire process of creating a publication, from writing and layout to printing and distribution. Zines are made for the purpose of sharing information, and have often been used by historically marginalized or underrepresented subcultures and social movements to build communities where people can connect and communicate with one another. In times of strife and conflict, zines offer a cathartic art form to create and share stories of lived experiences and play a large role in communication for members of social and political movements.
The zine collections in Archives & Special Collections contextualize and complement resources available at the UConn Library, including zine-making kits in the Library’s Maker Studio and publications available in the circulating collections for learning about and making zines.
Here are a few resources to get you thinking about making your own Zines
Post by Rebecca Parmer, Head of Archives & Special Collections