You may have heard the term “zine” before but may have no idea what it means. Put simply, zines are traditionally independent, self-published booklets that are made by gluing pictures and printed text onto paper and then photocopied. Zines do not have to follow the rules of proper grammar, punctuation, or even language and the author has the freedom to publish whatever they like without being edited by a publisher.
Our Anaheim Center Library recently gave some of our students the chance to create their own zines by offering a class on the topic that guided students as they created their own. The class put its own spin on the publication by having the students create audio zines.
Creating the zines was a powerful experience for the students as they shared personal stories infused with art and emotion in a unique way. The experimental and raw format of the zine 
publications allowed students to channel their emotional and powerful storytelling capabilities where they created zines that are brimming with wisdom, humor, and hope.
The students turned to technology to make the zines come to life, utilizing their cell phones and mobile apps in the recording process. In addition, Oleo created a unique process where he and the students communicated via cell phone to record the audio stories.
The students’ zines were then put on cartridges and are now available for others to check out in the Anaheim Center Library just like the other audio books and audio magazines regularly available. This means the students who created the zines (Gaby Alvarez, Georgina Martinez, Bonnie Rennie, and Douglas Lawhorn) have accomplished the feat of becoming self-published authors.
Those interested in checking out zines made by students of the Braille Institute at our Anaheim Center Library, can contact Christian Oleo at (714) 503-2123 or ckoleo@brailleinstitute.org for more information.
