crafts and hobbies #64: zines

I am slightly fascinated by zines. They were discussed briefly in one of my MLS courses, but it wasn't until I went to a science fiction convention last summer that I actually came into contact with one. Because of that, my experience with zines (which is hardly noteworthy as I have never read one) is mainly of the fanfiction variety. I have friends who write for fan-zines of their favorite television shows, and I have a lot of friends who buy, read, and trade them. It wasn't until I was doing a bit of research after being asked about zines by a co-worker, that I realized how broad and varied zine topics can be.

1) I think making a zine would be brilliant. I love to write (I blog on a regular basis) about anything and everything and could surely come up with something worth zine-ing about. If I made one, it would probably explore various formats, with some pages full of lists, some pages cluttered with words, some pages stark and minimalist, and some pages crammed with useful (or useless) information. I suppose it would need to have a general topic to attract readers - probably something to do with TV (which I watch a lot of) or books (which I read a lot of). Perhaps a bonus baking or crafting section for good measure.

Unfortunately, I am not artistic (as I have mentioned before on this blog), so if any simple illustrations were to be included, they would either be of the stick figure variety, or I would need to recruit a friend's help.

If I were to ever produce a zine, I would most likely do it on a small scale and just send it to friends. It would really just be for me because, frankly, I am not interesting enough to develop a huge internet following. (And I am totally okay with that!)

2) Do zines have a place in the library? Sure. Libraries are all about sharing information, and that includes off-beat, independent works by amateurs. However, zines are much, much harder to collect. Publication isn't pinned down by a big publishing company, content isn't analyzed and cataloged by age, distribution isn't hard and fast. I think there is a place for zines in the library, but building that collection would require dedicated librarians who really knew their stuff. It would take a lot of effort and time and would certainly not be the job of one lone librarian (if a large collection is the goal).

It would also work best if libraries just starting their zine collection contacted those libraries (like Salt Lake City Public Library) with well-established collections to discuss tricks and hints of the zine trade. Why struggle along unaided when there are librarians out there who are probably more than willing to discuss their collection?

(Bonus Slightly Embarrassing Fact: For the longest time, until just last year, actually, I was convinced the word was pronounced 'zInes' instead of 'zeenes'. I have no idea why. Just another quirky personality trait shining through, I guess.)