How Do I
Teen Zines
Welcome to the resource page for the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's Teen Zine collection, located in the Teen Department of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - Main (in Oakland). We offer over 200 zines, which you can find in the Teen Zines catalog. Below, you’ll find information about what a zine is, how YOU can get your hands on a zine at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, and how you can find out more information about zines--including how to make your own.
What is a zine?
A zine is a little periodical that's generally written, designed, and produced by the same person or group (i.e., self-published).
The content of zines--as well as how they're put together--are limited only by the imagination of the author and can be made in a number of ways. People have done anything from professing their love of brownies to drawing in crayon about their latest heartbreak.
Zines and teens are a great combination, because many zines are written by teens and address issues that teens face, in a very personal way. In addition, many of your favorite zine authors are available to chat through letters or e-mail, encouraging you to make your own creations and share them through the 'zine scene.' So check one out today!
Borrowing a Zine
Borrowing a zine is easy. Just stop by the Teen department, located on the first floor of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Main. Our zines are found on the far wall (if you want to get an idea of what we have before you visit, take a look at the Teen Zines catalog).
Next, bring the zines you want to the Teen reference desk. The librarians there will give you an envelope that you can use the check out zines at the Customer Services desk, as well as any of our self-checkout machines.
You can check out five zines at a time. They can be renewed twice and have a late fee of $.25/day.
Additional Resources
Books
Zine Scene
q PN4836.B56 1998x
From the author of Weetzie Bat and I Was a Teenage Fairy comes Zine Scene, a detailed account of the blood, sweat, tears, and ink that go into making zines.
Whatcha Mean, What’s a Zine?: The Art of Making Zines and Minicomics
Z286.Z54 T63 2006
This is the complete how-to resource for teens looking to express themselves through writing and publishing in the form of zines, from cutting & pasting to copying.
Zines
Stolen Sharpie Revolution
This guide, compiled by Portland zine luminary Alex Wrekk, will give you the goods on making zines, introduce you to zine culture, and connect you with a bunch more resources for getting your zine fix.
Websites
- Zines Pathfinder
http://www.carnegielibrary.org/research/news/zines.html
Looking for more places to go about zines, their history, and their relevance to you? Check out this resource guide, chock full of great links--and built by librarians at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh! - The Big Idea Infoshop
http://www.thebigideapgh.org
This local collective is Pittsburgh's premiere place to find zines and other alternative literature. Check it out! - The Book of Zines: Readings from the Fringe
http://www.zinebook.com
This helpful resource page offers links that will guide you to the far corners of zinedom. - Zine Resource Community
http://community.livejournal.com/zine_scene
The Zine Resource Community is Livejournal's largest community dedicated to the lives of zinesters everywhere. - Zine World: A Reader's Guide to the Underground Press
http://www.undergroundpress.org
Zine World is your guide to zine news, reviews, and additional resources (including a great "Zine 101").
