2021-10-22 SPLAT Curiosity Report: Volume 9, Issue 9
Featured Story
Zine Making for the Curious: What I Learned from Summer Learning Camp
Two years ago if you would have asked me what a zine was I couldn’t have given you a good answer. I probably would have even pronounced it zine with a long i sound. Today, while I can only claim to be a novice zine creator, if someone asked me What is a zine? that person would probably get an earful about awesome zines can be.
For anyone who doesn’t know what a zine is, here is a simple definition from Merriam-Webster: MAGAZINE; especially : a noncommercial, often homemade or online publication usually devoted to specialized and often unconventional subject matter. Although zines have been around for a long time, they really became popular during the 80s’ punk rock era. They are bold, independent, and creative. They can be simple or complex, handmade or typed, and can be on any topic under the sun. To make one, all you need is an idea, a piece of paper, a pair of scissors, and your writing instruments of choice.
I was first introduced to zines at a SPLAT! meeting a few years ago. I learned more at the Virtual School Librarian Summer Summit in 2020 where we not only practiced making our own zines, we discussed how they could be used in school assignments. Zines are a great way for students to connect with a topic and a creative option for them to use to show what they have learned. I got a chance to test this over the summer when I taught several groups of middle schoolers all about zines during our summer learning camp. The response was overwhelmingly positive. After my experience I am convinced that zine making has so much potential as a programming idea in the classroom, the school library, and the public library.
If you are interested in exploring zine making as an option, I highly encourage you to do so. Start by finding out more about zines on the internet. The Cornell Library website Zines 101: Make a Zine or the University of Puget Sound’s Collins Library Zine Collection are great places to start. Be sure to try making a few zines for yourself. Once you have a feel for it, think about what group you want to introduce to zines. While they are an all ages type of activity I decided to give it a go with my middle schoolers. Our zine making was a companion piece to the novel study we were doing. While you can use zines as an option for any book, we read “The First Rule of Punk” by Celia C. Perez. I chose this particular realistic fiction novel because it was appropriate for my middle schoolers. The biggest reason, however, was because the main character, Maria Lucia, is a 7th grader who makes her own zines. The book even has examples of her zines sprinkled throughout, and instructions on how to make your own zine in the back. It became a perfect tie-in to zine making.
Overall, the summer zine making was a success. I have even had students this school year ask, When are we going to make zines again? If you are interested in trying zines in your library, here are three things I learned from that experience that may be useful to you.
- Be sure to decide how much background information your particular group is going to need. I created a Google Slides presentation to help my students understand everything from zine history and punk rock music to different zine formats.
- Use prompts to help your participants get started. Even though zines can be about anything, my middle schoolers needed suggestions of what to write about. We started with a Who I am? zine which they seemed to enjoy.
- Let participants use magazines, ink stamps, and stencils for pictures and lettering. Your groups will have a wide range of drawing and writing abilities so these will help people participate and feel comfortable no matter what their skill level. You can also print out sheets with simple doodles or drawings as a reference for those who would like to give drawing a try.
I plan to continue to incorporate zines in my school library program whenever I get a chance, and where they make the most sense. I also have a goal to teach my colleagues about zines because they have so much potential as a learning tool. So, if you are at all interested in zine making, give it a try! It may just be the thing to energize your programming, no matter what type of library you are a part of.
– Gretchen Perkins
Fail Forward
We’ve all been there. You pour your heart into a program, and no one shows up. You try something new, and you fall on your face. Sound familiar? Fail Forward is the place to share your failures, and give you the opportunity to share what you learned from them. Did you promote your program in a different way after no one showed up? Maybe you took a new approach to the new thing you were excited about? Awesome! Share your story via our online form so others can learn, and realize that failure is often part of the process.
“A Kids Book About Failure”
My Fail forward this month will be on a book “A Kids Book About Failure” by Dr. Laymon Hicks. I think this book sums up what Fail Forwards is all about. It is about growth. This book should be used with kids and families and adults about how to fail and grow. I think our stories of fail forwards show that as a community librarians are in the right mindset of failing and learning from it. Go out and get this book in your library if you are a selector and also recommend it to patrons. Failing means growth!
– Eric Hovey
Crush Corner
Is there a library you follow on social media who is always doing new and exciting things? How about a blog you follow that inspires you? What about a new idea, book, or resource that you want to share? Library Crush Corner is a place for those working in Idaho libraries to share what inspires them, and who or what they’re crushing on… in a professional sense. Share your story via our online form so we can publish it in a future issue!
Outdoor Library Spaces
This outdoor space from the Library Journal article: Inside Out is so amazing! Look for my article about Libraries moving outside as we try to create more space for our patrons. I have library envy for sure. OPEN TO FUN Outdoor spaces at the Richland Library, designed by McMillan Pazdan Smith in association with Boudreaux, welcome adults and kids, play, and relaxation through a variety of bright colored, socially distanced fixtures. The detached overhang allows light into the building’s windows while still providing shade. Photo © 2020 Kris Decker/Firewater Photography
– Rasheil Stanger
SPLAT explores the ever-evolving library world and supports library folks as they adapt to meet the needs of their communities. Library folk throughout the state of Idaho volunteer to serve on the Special Projects Library Action Team (SPLAT). Learn more about SPLAT at splat.lili.org
SPLAT is brought to you by the Idaho Commission for Libraries and was made possible, in part, by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (LS-246156-OLS-20). The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.