What Are Zines?

Zines, short for fanzines, are small, self-published booklets made with simple materials like paper, pens, and a photocopier. Their DIY spirit gives space to diverse, independent, and marginalized voices, making them a powerful tool for personal expression and community storytelling. Whether personal, political, artistic, or just plain fun, zines give creators full control over how they express themselves and offer readers an authentic window into experiences they might never encounter otherwise. 

A Brief History of Zines

Author and creator Shay Mirk talks about the history of zine-making in the United States and how people have always been interested in publishing their own creative work. 

Recorded on Dec. 9, 2025.

Recommended Reads

Make A Zine!: Start Your Own Underground Publishing Revolution

Whatcha Mean, What's A Zine?

Stolen Sharpie Revolution: A DIY Resource for Zines and Zine Culture

Making Comic Zines

Explore Zine Collections

At the Library

• Sno-Isle Libraries - Zine Collection 
• Seattle Public Library - Zapp Zine Collection, opens a new window
• Timberland Regional Library - Zine Collection, opens a new window

Available Online

• Indiana University Bloomington: Digital Zine Collections
  An introduction to zines giving a brief overview of the history of the medium, some tips for creating your own zines, and listing different local zine resources.
• Internet Archive: Zine Collections, opens a new window          
  Collection of zines in the Internet Archive.
• Keke Magazine: Zine Library
  The Internet's free zine library. A digital space to publish your zines and read other zines.
• Library of Congress: Zine Web Archive
  Collection priorities include zines by people of color, women, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ and transgender and gender non-conforming individuals and organizations.
• Library of Virginia: Zines and Self-Published Materials
  A zines resource guide created for Archives Month 2023. 
• Quarantine Zine Club: Sticky Institute Online Zine Library
  A collection of zines donated by zinemakers from around the world.
• Sarah Shay Mirk: Zine Making Resources
  Learn more about the history behind zines, download free zines to read and find templates to help you make your very own zines.  
• Sherwood Forest Zine Library: Virtual Zine Library
  Find hundreds of free downloadable PDFs and links to online readable zines.