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Underground Iberia: Zines

This guide accompanies Almudena Marin Cobos's advanced language through content class and was created by zine librarian Jenna Freedman.

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 (though the Milstein Center is swipe access only).

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.

Zine Intellectual Property Considerations

  • “Reproducing/reprinting all or any part of this zine without prior consent will be considered utterly disrespectful and generally uncool.” - Aqsa Zine #4 Ancestors + Descendants. Sept. 2011. Print.
  • Researchers may scan, photograph, or otherwise reproduce zine text and images for their own use. Researchers may not publish zine images or substantial amounts of text in print, on the web, or in any public format, without making every effort to secure permission from the zine creator. If the zine creator is deceased or difficult for the researcher and zine librarian to locate, discuss other options with the zine librarian.
  • All zines are protected by copyright unless they contain an anti-copyright statement.
  • Read and contribute other special zine copyright/fair use statements on the Zine Libraries website.