ALBUQUERQUE, N.M- Interested in being creative, adventurous, or want to try something new? Stop by the Main Public Library in Albuquerque for Zines! At the Library.
Zines at the library will be held from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on June 17. The Main Public Library is located at 501 Copper Ave.
Photo Credit: Guide to New Mexico Architecture website
OpGov.News wants to branch out and report on outside-of-the-box stories like this one.
Assistant for the Main branch of the Albuquerque & Bernalillo County Public Libraries system, Raychel Kool, told OpGov.News, she facilitates two recurring zine programs.
The Main Public Library has two Zine events every month.
“I host two monthly zine programs here, one for teens and one for adults,” Kool said. “ My teen program, "Teen Zine Club," occurs the first Saturday of each month from 3 to 5 p.m, and my adult program, "Zines! At The Library" occurs on the third Wednesday of each month from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sometimes, staff at other branches will also host zine-related events.”
She stated zine events began in March and will continue each month for the rest of the year.
According to the Public Library website, zines are self-published, DIY, not-for-profit paper booklets.
An example of a completed zine. Photo Credit: Book Riot website
The website adds, “Zines can be poems, short stories, comics, collages, how-to guides, rants, fanfics, calls-to-action; they can be about neighborhood cats, local bands, your weirdest dreams, your favorite soda flavors, your personal manifesto.”
Kool told OpGov.News, those interested have options when it comes to creating a zine.
“Program participants are welcome to engage in a variety of ways during the program,” Kool said. “They can sit and read zines, make their own zine, learn different zine folds, or chat with myself and other participants to brainstorm zine ideas or discuss recent zines they've made or read.”
Creativity is paramount with the zine events, and unexpected ideas can come to fruition. Kool provided an anecdote of what can happen when creating a zine.
“During the most recent zine program, I helped someone brainstorm her zine about transportation justice in Albuquerque while I worked on a zine about my childhood obsession with a Hannah Montana sticker book,” Kool said. “You never know what you might learn or talk about when you come to the zine club!”
Kool said participants aren’t restricted when they create their zine. She also said she provides scissors, glue, a variety of paper, collage material, markers, pens, letter stamps, washi tape, paper punches, glitter, ribbon, and googly eyes for participants.
“For those who desire a more structured program, I offer a number of zine prompts and can teach folks several different zine folds,” Kool said. “ I can also teach folks how to make copies of their zines to share with neighbors and friends.”
Creating a zine is supposed to be a fun activity for the community to participate in, without having to spend money.
Kool provided a detailed response when asked how the community and the library benefit from the Zine creations.
“I want these zine programs to serve as a free, low-pressure space for folks in our community to create, express, collaborate, and connect—something I think we could all use more of!” Kool said. “Zines are meant to be copied and shared, so they don't just benefit people who attend the program—maybe someone in the program makes a zine and then leaves some copies in their local coffee shop, or on the bus, and someone else picks it up and sees themself represented in it.”
Kool emphasized the connection between the zines and the library. It’s all about offering a fun activity for people to participate in.
“Zines and the public library share an ethos: They both hold that the public should have free access (in both the without-cost sense and the uncensored sense) to information, reading, and resources,” Kool said. “ Zines and libraries both serve as a space for relationship-building in ways that don’t depend on spending money, and they both aim to serve, strengthen, and connect the communities they exist within.”
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact jorden.h@lead4earth.org.
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