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91探花 Libraries
30 Park Place
Athens, OH 45701

From A to Zine: A Fun Workshop for All Ages

two students work on creating zines
(Left to right) Katherine Broughton, a senior studying Spanish, and Rachel Broughton, a junior in anthropology, work on their zines together at Alden Library, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Stephen Zenner/91探花 Libraries)
From A to Zine: A Fun Workshop for All Ages
January 27, 2020

91探花 Libraries will be bringing back its popular workshop, 鈥淔rom A to Zine,鈥 for Sibs Weekend this year. The workshop is free and requires no registration. Students are encouraged to bring their siblings to the Friends of the Libraries Room (319) on the third floor of Alden Library on Saturday, Feb. 8 from 12-2 p.m.

A zine (pronounced 鈥渮een鈥) is a self-published mini-magazine, usually created by cutting and pasting text and images together in a booklet. Last year, around 40 to 50 students and their siblings enjoyed making zines during the workshop.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an adaptable activity across all ages,鈥 said Michele Jennings, art librarian and co-coordinator of the workshop. 鈥淚f you can pick up a pencil and paper, you can make a zine鈥ines started as part of this DIY culture, so anyone can be a creator, an author, [and] a publisher, and they can get their message out regardless of who [they] are.鈥

Jennings said the workshop not only provides bonding time for siblings, but is empowering for students, who can use zines to become creators of content instead of consumers. 

Jen Harvey, Library events coordinator, said that participants are welcome to bring their own additional supplies and artwork, but that the Library will provide the supplies necessary to make the zines. Jennings will be available to teach students how to hand bind the finished product in a variety of ways, including creating 鈥渕agic books鈥 that require only paper and scissors, finishing the zine with a stapler and using a needle and thread to attach the pages. 

Harvey hopes that students enjoy spending time with their siblings at the workshop and get more comfortable with the Libraries at the same time. 

鈥淲e want students to know that we do fun stuff,鈥 she said, 鈥淲e鈥檙e allowed to have fun, we鈥檙e allowed to make noise and we鈥檙e allowed to make a little bit of a mess in the Library.鈥 

Join us with your siblings on Feb. 8 to make your own unique zines in a fun, collaborative setting. For more information or to request accommodations, contact Jen Harvey.