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MSTU 5002: Culture, Media, and Education

This guide serves as the lesson plan for Lauren Vogelstein's Technology, Media, & Learning class at Teachers College in Fall 2025 led by zine librarian Jenna Freedman

Follow Along

QR code that links to this guide: https://guides.library.barnard.edu/MSTU-5002-001

What Is a Zine? (pre)

What is a zine? Share one word or phrase that defines zines for you

creativity * community based * skills * fantastic * brochure * self-publication * creativity * DIY style * punk * combination of pictures and text * color * artistic * more literature version of a comic book * propaganda * visual * free expression * handcrafted * communication

Read and Discuss

screenshot of CLIO catalog record for Tenacious. Shows special collections and zine library copies. Zine sampler!

Search for a zine in CLIO (pro-tip, don't take too long with this)

  • zines AND [your topic]
  • facets, like
    • date
    • country 
    • language
    • subject
    • genre

Read/skim a zine for two minutes & repeat 3x. 

Discuss in a group, using these guiding questions, or your own

  • What does the zine say about its creator--directly or indirectly?
  • How is the zine different from a research paper, digital project, Instagram reel, etc.?

  • How do the zine's appearance and content work with or against each other?

What Is a Zine (post)

What is a zine? Share one word or phrase that defines zines for you:

Zines Are

zine excerpt: WHAT IS A ZINE ! "FOR ME AZINE IS NOT JUST A SELF-MADE AND SELF-, PUBLISHED BOOKLET BUT IT IS ALSO SITUATED WITHIN DIY CULTURE. THIS MEANS IT IS NON-PROFIT, NON-COMMERCIAL, LOW-BUDGET, AND NON -COM- PETITIVE. TOPICS AND STYLES CAN VARY BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT ZINES REMAIN ACCESSIBLE, BOTH TO READERS (EVERYONE CAN AFFORD TO BUY OR I TRADE THEM AND TO WRITERS (EVERYONE CAN MAKE THEM). ZINES DONT EXIST AS LITTLE PAPER ISLANDS BUT THEY ARE CONNECTED AND BLOSSOM WITHIN A MUTUALLY SUPPORTIVE ZINE COMMUNITY."

Nijsten, Nina. Scissors & Chainsaws No. 2 : Diary Comic Zine Made in July 2020 During International Zine Month. Gent, Belgium: Nina Nijsten, 2020.

On the Zine Spectrum from Zines 101 by Lea Cooper, PhD. <--they have a Ph.D in zines!