Welcome to the Greater Boston Area Zine Library Crawl 2025!
Did you know that several public and academic libraries in the state have zine collections that are available to the public? Many even have zines you can borrow with your library card. Massachusetts has a thriving zine scene, and this April, you’re invited to check out as many zine libraries in the Greater Boston area as you can!
During the month of April, complete your Zine Library Crawl passport for the opportunity to win prizes, including free goodies from the participating libraries, zine making supplies and physical zines from area zine makers! Zine Library Crawl passports are available at participating libraries. You can also view and print out a Zine Passport here.
What’s a zine?
Zines are small, self-published works featuring original or repurposed content, often made with a photocopier. They cover everything from art and music to politics and personal stories. They’re driven by passion, not profit. While everything is a Google search away, you can’t search for what you don’t know. Zines offer windows into niche interests and hidden subcultures you might not find otherwise.The best way to learn about zines is to check them out, so come visit as many of our participating libraries with zine collections.
Which libraries are involved?
Participating public and academic libraries include:
- Boston Public Library*
- *Participating branches include Codman Square Branch, Egleston Square Branch, Jamaica Plain Branch, Parker Hill Branch, Roslindale Branch, and Roxbury Branch.
- Framingham Public Library
- Harvard University’s Schlessinger Library
- MassArt Morton R. Godine Library
- School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University’s W. Van Alan Clark Jr. Library
- Somerville Public Library (all locations)
- Watertown Free Public Library
Where can I get my Zine Passport stamped at the Somerville Public Library?
- At the Central Library Reference Desk (second floor)
- At the East Branch Circulation Desk
- At the West Branch Reference Desk (basement) or Circulation Desk (first floor)
Where can I find the Somerville Public Library zine collection?
You can click here to visit our online catalog and see what zines we have in our collection for checkout. At the Central Library, they are located on the third floor mezzanine. At the West Branch, the collection is housed in the basement. The East Branch zine collection is on the windowsill just past the chess table. Speak to a library staff member at any location for directions to that collection.
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While there’s extra incentive to visit this April, these zine collections are active year-round, and it’s always a great time to visit your local library and check out zines!