Zines at Brown University and beyond

The Brown University Library holds multiple collections of zines from the United States and Latin America. 

The collections focus on zines by and about people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other queer peoples, and disabled individuals, among other groups. Topics include interpersonal violence, sex and relationships, sex work, the prison industrial complex, self-care, feminism, and punk. We encourage you to explore them to for research, class assignments, artistic inspiration, or just for fun.

This guide will help you locate and use zine collections from Brown University and beyond. 

A zine is:

• a self-published work of about 1,000 or fewer copies
• produced by a person or a small group
• made for self expression, not for profit
• a way to express ideas and share experiences that are not represented in mainstream print or media

Watch the video below for a quick history of zines, what they are, and what they do.