SLIS Laboratory Library

Featured Zine - Journal of Books & Wenches

Journal of Books & Wenches is a home-grown (or so we think) zine covering the exciting world of SLIS. The JOB&W was the first to break the news of the disappearance and eventual death of Ethelene Whitmire and the chaos (near apocalyptic proportions) surrounding the launch of the SLIS blog. Don't miss the Editorrrrrrr's Galley from editor Malachi Bowles!

What's a Zine?

Zines are handmade self-published small magazines. They are usually photocopied for distribution, but each copy may include hand-sewn bindings, handwritten passages, hand coloring, stickers, etc. Zines cover a wide range of topics and create a quick and easy avenue for their creators to express their thoughts, ideas, and feelings that might otherwise not be represented by the mainstream.

Why a Zine Collection at SLIS?

The Library Workers Zine Collection at the SLIS Library was started by Alycia Sellie as a practicum project in Spring 2006. Her vision statement for the collection sums up the need for such a collection nicely:

"[The collection will] provide the students of the School of Library and Information Studies with a collection of alternative print publications that can reflect and share the experiences of librarians and library workers in their daily lives and also in interests outside of librarianship. We strive to make our collection show the broad range and diversity in the lives of librarians and their experiences as real people both within and outside of the library. Through the SLIS Library Workers Zine Collection, we strive to show a perspective of library workers that is not presented in mainstream library literature. We hope that through this collection we can inspire future librarians to express themselves through zines or to consider having collections of zines or other alternative, independent or underground literature in their future libraries... We hope that with this collection SLIS students can enjoy the work of their peers and that through zines they will be able to have another outlet for professional discussion and personal connections with librarians and library workers in the field... We hope that the SLIS Library Workers Zine Collection is one more way that SLIS can prove that librarians are intelligent, creative, and awesome people."