Zine Collection

What is a Zine?

A zine (pronounced ZEEN, as in “magazine”) is difficult to define—and that’s on purpose. Zines are made by people who feel strongly enough about something to write, draw, compile, print, and distribute their thoughts about it, and that’s the only requirement! 

Zines...

• Take the form of a small pamphlet, but they can be any size, any length, and about any topic
• Often cover subjects overlooked in larger-scale publications
• Are a labor of love, not profit, and they are as varied as their creators

What ties them all together is the passion of their creators and their do-it-yourself (DIY) beliefs. 

Why Does the Library Have a Zine Collection?

Our goal is to circulate and preserve alternative media resources that inspire readers to re-examine and learn from alternative and under-served voices that represent our community. We hope that by offering these unique and inspiring materials, library users will gain a broader appreciation for their community (and library) and that they will feel empowered to contribute their own work. 

How Do I Donate My Zine to the Collection?

We accept zines of different shapes, sizes, and formats. Whether hand-drawn or hand-written, photocopied and stapled, or professionally printed: we want to see it all!

We are always accepting new submissions!

Acceptance into the Zine Collection is determined by Library staff using Library Policy. Criteria for selection includes public interest, presentation, readability, quality, literary or artistic merit, scarcity of material on the subject, and local/regional authorship.

You can donate anytime in person at any library branch or by Mail to:
Main Library c/o Zine Collection
303 N. Laura St.
Jacksonville, FL 32202

Be sure to include:

• Name of Author(s)/Artist(s)
• Volume number(s), if any
• Year of publication
• Your email address

Optional to include:

• Multiple zine copies
• The phrase “CC BY-NC-ND 4.0” written on the zine(s) if you would like your zine to be able to be copied and redistributed in any medium or format for non-commercial use.
  • This allows the library to be able to make copies of your zine to:
    • replace damaged zines
    • add a copy, when appropriate, to our archival Florida Zine Collection, Bookmobile outreaches, Learning Services programs, and more.
• Choosing not to include these items will not affect the decision to include your donation in the Zine Collection.

Submission Guidelines

• The zine must be donated and will not be purchased by the Library.
• The donated copy will be considered for addition to the collection based on our selection criteria and may or may not be added. Any donations become the property of the Library, which has the prerogative to keep or dispose of the item (as stated in Library Policy).
• Zines donated to the Zine Collection may become damaged or go missing and thus be removed from the collection. Creators will not be informed of this removal. Additional copies are accepted.
• If the item is not added to the collection, it will be given to the Friends of Jacksonville Public Library.
• If selected, it may take up to 6 months for your zine to appear in the collection.

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# Preserve Your Hand-Made Zines

Have you ever wanted to convert your zines to an easily stored or sharable digital format?  

Jacksonville Public Library’s Memory Lab is available to library card holders for self-directed use, during regular library hours, in Special Collections on the fourth floor of the Main Library. If you do not have a library card, it takes just two minutes to sign up for free online or in-person. Note: Guest passes and non-resident cards are also available for a fee. 

Scanning hard copies, books and oversized materials

The Bookeye 5 V2Overhead Book Scanner:

• allows you to scan materials up to 24” x 18.5”, in bulk and at high speeds
• scans at a resolution of 400 dpi, suitable for high-quality printing
• accommodates 180 degrees (flat) or a gentle 120 degrees (to protect the book spines)
• flattens and automatically de-skews images and text
• removes those pesky shadows 

For flat items, the Epson Expression 13000XL Archival Scanner:

• allows you to scan materials up to 12.2" x 17.2"
• scan at a high resolution of up to 1200 dpi in Document Mode

Our Epson V600 Flatbed Scanners:

• can accommodate photos or documents up to 8 ¾” x 12” or 12.2" x 17.2"
• also scans slides and negatives

Plan ahead:

• Bring a flash drive of at least 8GB to save files. Files can also be saved to Cloud storage such as Google Photos. The Bookeye 5 is also connected to the public printer.
• If you’re new to Photoshop, you view tutorials ahead of time on LinkedIn Learning (access to on-demand video tutorials is free with your library card).
• Walk-ins are welcome but if you want to make sure a digitization station is available for you when you arrive, please schedule an appointment online or by calling (904) 255-BOOK.

 For more, visit: Scanning Books and Documents and/or Scanning Photos, Slides, and Negatives. 

Celebrating Self-Publishers

Jacksonville is the home of many talented writers. To make their work accessible to the entire community, the Library created the Local Author Collection. If you a local author or small press with a book, CD or DVD that you'd like us to consider adding to the collection, we want to hear from you! If you're donating a copy, start by requesting a local author submission form. If you want the Library to consider purchasing a copy of your work, click to learn about marketing your book to us.

Don't have physical copies of your book? Learn more about self-publishing e-books at the library and FREE access to the Indie Author Project and Pressbooks Public self-publishing platforms. Check out some of the e-books that have already been submitted on our BiblioBoard page.