Last year, we brought UCI Libraries Zinefest to UC Irvine! Zines are short for “fanzines”, which are DIY mini-magazines that allow anyone to express their opinions in a fun and cost effective way. Zinefest combined educational and creative aspects to form an engaging event open to students and the public, allowing them to express their unique opinions, ideas, and concerns in the form of a zine. Attendees were also able to listen to three guest speakers. These speakers were educational, bringing attention to resources available to the public to express themselves and research further into zines.
The student organization Uncultivated Rabbits represents their zine, Uncultivated Underground.
Zinefest succeeded in reaching out to and educating the UCI community about zines as well as the UCI Libraries’ collections, and how anyone can express their ideas and thoughts easily through creating a zine.
Students creating zines.
After the success of last year’s Zinefest, the UCI Libraries will continue this fun tradition of public outreach to the Anteater Community. There are fun and new things in store for this year’s event, which is held during International Open Access Week, an international celebration of public access to information. One of UCI’s contributions to this international event is Zinefest, allowing free access to information and viewing of zines, along with showcasing the information resources that UCI’s libraries have to offer.
In addition to the previous year’s activities, including DIY zine making, guest speakers, and presentations on resources UCI offers to the public, 2016 brings the opportunity to contribute to a community zine. This will provide a format for the community to work collaboratively on zines, inviting participants to come together and express their opinions with their fellow Anteaters.
We’ll also have buttons! And the button maker, so you can make your own.
This year, attendees will be able to create their own DIY zines and buttons, encouraging the UCI community to be creative and expressive. The event is free, and if you choose, you can donate your zine to the UCI Libraries’ zine collection. Plus, you will even be able to meet Peter the Antreader!
Peter the Antreader getting his zine on!
Zinefest 2016 will host even more guest speakers than the year before. Attendees will get the opportunity to hear from speakers with a wide variety of focuses. Speakers include returning speaker Professor Jeanne Scheper from the Gender and Sexuality Department. This year there will be new speakers, including zinesters Ziba Perez Zehdar and Jon-O Gazdecki of ZebraPizza Zine (http://threeamigospress.tumblr.com/). Alison Regan of the UCI Libraries and Tamara Austin of the Cross Cultural Center will also speak to audiences. In addition, the public will get the chance to see an exhibition of the UCI Libraries’ collection of zines. This exhibition will be curated by Laura Uglean Jackson, Assistant University Archivist of the Special Collections Archives.
Combine all of these fun opportunities that Zinefest has to offer, and the event this year is sure to be one for the books! Zinefest 2016 is on October 26th, from 12-4 PM, so make sure to bring your friends and stop by the Gateway Plaza next to Langson Library for one of the most fun and educational events hosted by the UCI Libraries of the year. The UCI Libraries can’t wait to see you there!
Program information and updates are available on the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1600629183570288/