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Zines by Artists

Barnard Zine Library Curator Jenna Freedman created this guide to support Branden Joseph's Art History seminar at Columbia University.

Getting Started

Welcome to the Barnard Zine Library!

The Barnard Zine Library is part of the Barnard Library and Academic Information Services (BLAIS) in the Milstein Center for Teaching and Learning at Barnard College, Columbia University. The zines are described in the library catalog we share with Columbia University Libraries (CUL), CLIO.

Barnard's zines reflect the Barnard College student population with regard to gender. We have zines by women, nonbinary people, and trans men, with a collection emphasis on zines by women of color and a newer effort to acquire more zines by trans women. We collect zines on feminism and femme identity by people of all genders. The zines are personal and political publications on a wide range of topics, broadly addressing gender, feminisms, identities, political activism, and popular culture. Frequent topics include, for example, teenage girlhoods, punk cultures, COVID-19, riot grrrl, LGBTQIA experiences, BIPOC identities, travel, comics, physical and mental health, body image, gender nonconformity, discrimination, DIY and crafting, cooking, friendship, and much more. Our zines are at the lower end of the production level scale and typically cost $10 or less, with most of them in the $1-$5 range.

There are two zine collections: circulating stacks and special collections.

'screenshot of catalog record zine shot, indicating that items marked "Barnard Special Collections (non-circulating)" should be requested for use in the Reading Room and that items labeled "Barnard Zine Library" are available in the open stacks.'

Circulating zines are located on the 2nd floor of the Milstein Center and can be borrowed by Barnard and Columbia students and members of the BorrowDirect and MaRLI networks and are also available via interlibrary loan. Barnumbia loans are semester-long and renewable 99 times. The library is open to the public. 

color photo of the stacks in the Barnard Zine Library: shelves and shelves of zines. Little blue placard that says "ZINES"

The zine library is open the same hours as the Milstein Center, and can be checked out during Circulation & Help Desk hours.

Questions?

bear wearing a pleather jacket, shades, crownZine Library Resources