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FYSB 1001-010: Activism Performance Social Movements

This guide accompanies a zine library research and making session for Shayoni Mitra's First Year Seminar, Fall 2025, Zine Librarian Jenna Freedman

Read and Discuss

photo of a cat gently touching some zines lying on a tableRead

Find a zine in CLIO. Include the word "zines" in your search plus a word or phrase of interest, e.g., < zines activis* >. Hint: limit to Barnard and apply any other left navigation limits you like.  

screenshot of CLIO record with arrows pointing to "Barnard Special Collections" and "Barnard Zine Library" locations

Discuss

  • What is the creator of one of the zines saying consciously (performing) vs. unconsciously?
  • How do the visual elements complement or complicate the text?
  • How do the formats of the zine impact how you read them?
  • What is one page, passage, or graphic that moved you--to laughter, sadness, anger, empathy, etc.?
  • Can you make a guess about the zine creator(s) socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and other identities based on reading the zine?
  • What do the zines you read add to or remove from the Barnard and Columbia libraries?

Zines Are

https://zinejam.com/blog-1/zines-101

Anything to add? Challenge? Subtract?