Introduction:

Zines are not simply defined. They can be a messy hodgepodge of personal thoughts or an expertly designed political treatise. They can fit easily into a pocket or take up an entire 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. They can be heavily collaged or minimalist; colored or black-and-white; handwritten or typed; stapled, sewn, or loose. The unifying thread is their outside-of-the-mainstream existence as independently written, produced, and distributed media that value freedom of expression and freedom from rules above all else.

Short for fanzines, zines have been in existence since the 1930s, when they served as a form of communication between science fiction fans. In the 1990s, with the combination of the riot grrrl movement's reaction against sexism in punk, the rise of third wave feminism and girl culture, and an increased interest in the do-it-yourself lifestyle, the women's and grrrls' zine culture began to thrive. Feminist practice emphasizes the sharing of personal experience as a community-building tool, and zines proved to be the perfect medium for reaching out to young women across the country in order to form the "revolution, girl style."

Scope:

This resource pathfinder is intended for undergraduate and graduate students who are just beginning to study the American women's and grrrls' zine culture and would like a brief survey of the field. The general adult public interested in zines will also find useful materials here. Although recent years have witnessed an explosion of e-zines, or zines published online, this pathfinder is strictly concerned with print zines.

Visitors to the following pages should be aware that they contain objectionable language and discussion of adult topics.

All of the materials here can be found in either the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's library system or Duke University's library system. Specific libraries will be noted with each resource. Please note that UNC's libraries use Library of Congress call numbers, while Duke University's libraries primarily use Dewey Decimal call numbers (although a switch to the Library of Congress system is underway).

LC Subject Headings:

• Zines.
• Fanzines.
• Feminism -- Periodicals.
• Feminism -- United States -- History -- 20th century.
• Periodicals -- Publishing -- United States.
• Self-publishing -- United States.
• Underground periodicals -- United States.
• Underground press publications -- United States.
• Women's periodicals, American.
• Young women--United States -- Social life and customs.

Keywords:

If LC Subject Headings fail to produce results, you may want to try a keyword search. You might use "fanzine or fanzines" or "zine or zines." For materials related to the women's and grrrls' zine culture, you might use keywords such as "grrrl or grrrls" (note the three r's), "women and punk," "third wave feminism," "underground press," or "underground periodicals."

When using Duke University's online catalog to access records for the zine collections, it is often most effective to use the collector's name in an author search (for example, "Dyer,Sarah").

Library Locations:

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries

• Davis Library
• Undergraduate Library
• North Carolina Collection, Wilson Library

Duke University Libraries

• Perkins/Bostock Library
• Sallie Bingham Center for Women's History and Culture,
      Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Special Collections Library (RBMSCL)

This pathfinder was created by Amy McDonald for INLS 111 at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Site last updated on May 1, 2006.

Photo of Kathleen Hanna courtesy of Spin magazine.

All comments, questions, and zine news should be directed to amy_mcdonald@unc.edu.