Zines in the Health Sciences Library

Zines have long been an integral part of library collections, but can they be useful in a health sciences library? The Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) is home to a small graphic and narrative medicine collection. Graphic medicine and narrative medicine are two disciplines used to create empathy and understanding between patients and health care providers. The OHSU Library is home to a thirty-five-item collection of graphic medicine titles. The library started this collection to provide OHSU’s community with a greater range of materials to use in their studies, instruction, and practice. As a new employee of OHSU, I wondered if zines would be able to enhance this collection. Having started a zine collection at two previous institutions, I was excited about the possibility of starting one in a health sciences library. To this end, I applied for, and was awarded, a Collection Equity Grant by the NNLM to start a health zine library at OHSU.

So, what actually is a zine? A zine, short for fanzine or magazine, is a self-publication, usually made on paper and reproduced with a photocopier or printer. They resemble small booklets or pamphlets and are DIY in nature. Zine creators are often motivated by a desire to share knowledge or experience with people in marginalized or less-empowered communities. Zines diversify traditional library collections in that they are inexpensive, personal, and provide viewpoints not often seen in mainstream publications.

We have purchased zines related to health (physical and mental), medicine, and the human condition and will make them available for browsing and checkout to patients, physicians, educators, and the general public. Our goal is to diversify the library collections by including zines from marginalized makers and communities while also further developing our graphic medicine collection. We have partnered with the Independent Publishing Resource Center (IPRC), a local organization that provides space and equipment for artists and writers to share their work. Zines available in the OHSU collection will also be available for viewing in the IPRC. This will ensure that people who cannot get to OHSU have another option for viewing the zines.

There were several reasons for starting a zine collection at OHSU. The primary reason is that our collections are largely composed of items from the clinician and researcher viewpoint. The patient’s perspective is largely absent. The patient perspective is important because it provides unique insights and personal knowledge of health and the health care system. Secondly, zines are personal, come from diverse viewpoints, and are free of medical jargon that the lay person may not understand. Zines lower the usual barriers between the author and the reader, creating new knowledge and empathy amongst students, practitioners, and patients. This collection allows us to include these voices, gain knowledge of different perspectives, and connect the OHSU Library with the greater community.  

The collection will launch in late spring. As a new project and partnership, we are excited to evaluate how these types of materials are used in both a health care/health library setting and a community organization. With the popularity of graphic medicine, health care providers are starting to realize the benefits of using diverse educational materials to assist with teaching, learning, and clinical practice. By sharing what we learn from this project with the public and health library community, we can help other libraries who may also be interested in diversifying the educational content in their collections. 

Do you have zines in your collection? How do you engage with zines in your institution?