There are many definitions of zines out there in the world! Read on for a couple of different definitions: 

Zines are "...noncommercial, nonprofessional, small-circulation magazines which their creators produce, publish and distribute themselves." (Stephen Duncome, Notes from Underground: Zines and the Politics of Alternative Culture)

Zines are "...paper documents, usually made by hand, without any financial incentive...Zines are quirky, individualized booklets filled with diatribes, reworkings of pop culture iconography, and all variety of personal and political narratives." (Alison Piepmeier, "Why Zines Matter: Materiality and the Creation of Embodied Community")

At Ely Library, we define zines as independently published, small-circulation magazines, which can be made by anyone on any topic. In the Zine Collection, we have zines on a variety of topics like gender identity, mushroom foraging, art, photography, voting, health insurance, Indigenous poetry, cats, queer horror, and so much more!