As a part of the new ISLS Arts Gallery & Performance track, we will be hosting a zine library and zine making table at ISLS 2026 in Irvine, CA! A zine (pronounced zeen) is a small-batch circulation of self published work, often in the form of text or images. They are easily reproducible and come in all shapes and sizes, but are most often seen in the form of a stapled or bound paper booklet. This zine library will be a display of zines made by the ISLS community and beyond, open for visitors to explore and read through as they please.
We wanted to build a zine library because we’ve noticed a recent rise in zine-making in our academic and partner communities, including making community zines, sharing research findings, distributing information for movements of resistance, or hosting zine workshops. We aim to provide an opportunity for zine-makers to showcase what they made and for interested visitors to see those zines, find inspiration, and dip their toes in making their own.
I don’t get it. What is a zine?
Great question! Zines are creative, DIY, personally expressive, and unique to the maker. They are most often made at home and at the minimum don’t require much more than a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. People make zines in almost any format, from comics to poems to collages to stories and more. They can be made by a singular person or a collective of people and topics range from advocacy and activism to sharing a collection of art. In other words, you can make a zine about anything you want, in any way you want!
A few zines from Mimi’s collection
Once you know what to look for, you can find zines almost anywhere. Some places we like to go to find zines are our local independent bookstores, zine fairs hosted in our local cities or nearby (near Irvine, there will be an OC Zine Fest in August!), or public libraries that also sometimes host zine libraries within them (such as the Denver Zine Library). Near and around Irvine where the conference will be located, you can find zines at Anaheim Central Library in Anaheim, LibroMobile in Santa Ana, LA Public library (multiple locations), Other Books in LA, or Burn All Books in San Diego, among many others.
[Mimi] Most of my zine collection actually comes from making zines with friends, trading zines with friends, or doing zine trades at zine fairs.
Cool! So how can I contribute?
To be a part of our zine library, you can either:
Send or bring us a zine to share! Please see the end of the blog post for more information on how to get your zine to us. All zines will be returned after the conference has concluded. Zines you send us will be displayed on a wall for people to look at, pick up, and read through while at the conference. We will also have a space on the table for zines to give away, if you wish to distribute additional copies. You do not need to attend the conference to send us a zine to display or distribute.
Or
Come by our table during the conference and make your own! We will have paper and materials to make your own minizine, which you can add to the library or take home with you to share with others.
Please note that all zines must abide by the ISLS Events Code of Conduct.
I’m not a researcher or in Learning Sciences. Can I still submit a zine?
Yes, you absolutely can still submit a zine! For this zine library we aim to highlight zines by or about educators, facilitators, learners, or people working/participating in learning environments such as schools, libraries, museums, after-school programs, or anything adjacent. Zines can be on anything from personal stories to facilitation practices to identity exploration to research findings.
If you’re an educator, facilitator, or researcher and want to try out our Equity zine (or you’ve already done it!), you can also fill one out and send or bring it to us to share at the conference.
How do I give you my zine for the library?
We have a few ways you can give us your zine, listed below:
1: Mail us your zine before June 1, 2026
If you choose to mail your zine (or multiple copies of it!), please email Mimi to receive an address and instructions for mail. The zine must be delivered to the address provided by or before June 1, 2026 in order to travel with Mimi to the conference.
2: Email us a digital copy of your zine to print with printing instructions (before May 28)
We can print 1 stapled copy of your zine on our department printer on standard printer paper, in color or in black & white. Our printer can go from letter to tabloid sized paper. If you need a non-standard paper size, a specific paper or print finish, multiple copies, or a binding other than staples, please try the other delivery options. The files must be sent before May 28 to give us time to print and assemble.
3: Give Mimi the zine at ISLS
Tell me you will be bringing your zine to ISLS and I will find you! This is our preferred option, especially if you will be in Irvine by the beginning of the conference.
If you live in the Denver Metropolitan area, you can also deliver your zine to us in-person or reach out and Mimi can come pick it up.
That’s it! Please email Mimi at mimi.shalf@colorado.edu if you have any clarifying questions, comments, or just want to chat about zines.
