You may or may not know this, but the Oakland Public Library has a robust and ever-growing collection of zines!
Zines are independently or self-published booklets, often photocopied, often stapled, and generally motivated by self-expression, personal interest, or passion. Zines can be about anything, do not have to conform to any rules or guidelines, and are DIY by nature.
Some say zines have been around since Thomas Paine's historic and self-published Common Sense, though others say zines started sometime in the 30s as scifi fanzines. They have often been situated within various scenes and subcultures -- like the 70s punk scene and the 90s Riot Grrrl scene -- but are created by all kinds of people and are about anything you can think of. They can be intellectual, political, artistic, historical, cultural, informational, personal, poetic, and on and on and on.
We started our OPL zine collection to be a mobile collection housed on one of our Bike Libraries: our Bike-O-Zines-Oakland (BOZO). Now the zines mostly live on the first floor of the Main Library (and sometimes at other branches!). They can't be placed on hold, but they can be browsed and checked out just like any other item.
We just got a fresh new batch, so come peruse our collection and take home a stack of history lessons, personal stories, field guides, comics, recipes, poems, self-help tips, and more!
Next Level Ally by Eli Sachse
Bicycle Culture Rising by Joe Biel
How to Afford Your Damn Meds by Kenra Brewer
The Witches' Grimoire by Sandra Cintron
The Kytchyn Witche:Guide to Natural Living by Nadine Schneider and Katie Haegele
Become Worry-Free Right Now: 12 Meditations for Transcending Reality by Jessica Mullen and Adam Zapotok
What Happened to the Black Panther Party? An Introduction by Joseph E. Green
Rock and Roll of San Francisco's East Bay 1950-1980 (Scene history, Vol 2) by Cory M. Linstrum
What the Ladies Have to Say: Activists in Palestine, Indonesia, and the Philippines
An Urban Field Guide to the Plants in Your Path by Maggie Herskovits
Herbal First Aid (Assembling a Natural First Aid Kit) by Raleigh Briggs
Pacific Coast Tree Finder by Tom Watts
A Field Guide to Edible Mushrooms of California by Daniel Winkler
Unf#ck Your Brain Workbook: Using Science to Get Over Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Freak-Outs, and Triggers by Faith G. Harper
Unf#ck Your Anger Workbook: Using Science to Develop a Healthy Relationship with Frustration, Rage, and Forgiveness by Faith G. Harper
How to Love Me: Better Relationships Through Self-Knowledge by Caitlin V. Neal
Let's Talk About Your Uterus: An Introduction to Fertility Awareness by Ashley Hartman Annis
On Quitting: Tips for Kicking Alcohol by Elly Blue
A Felon's Guide to Life After a Felony by Aza Enigma
Bring Me Your Love by Charles Bukowski / illustrations by R. Crumb
The Day Before the Revolution by Ursula K. Le Guin / illustrations by Alec Dunn
Mix by Jeffrey Cheung
From Chaos to Creativity Workbook: Building a Productivity System for Artists and Writers
Your Neuro Diverse Friend: A User Guide to Treating People Like People by Joe Biel
Not Just Dusty Old Books: A Zine by and About the Oakland Public Library
And sooo many more!
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