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Bret Harte Library now has Zines!
Bret Harte Library now has Zines!
We launched the Bret Harte Zine Library in December 2025, and started with only a few zines we'd found on the internet.
As of April 2026 we have over 100 zines that are browsable on our shelves and available to read during class visits, lunch, or after school!
The zine library includes zines created by Bret Harte students, staff, and local creators.
What Are Zines Anyway?
What Are Zines Anyway?
Zines are DIY booklets about anything you love! They are publications by the people, for the people, and have roots in activism, and have been around for as long as people have had the ability to print the written word!
This article from Medium traces the history of zines back to the 1440s and includes examples of 'little magazines' from the Harlem Renaissance!
I want to make one! How do I start?
I want to make one! How do I start?
All you need to start one is a piece of paper, something to write with and something to say!
This Make A Zine Printable Guide is a great place to start and includes suggestions for materials, prompts, how to fold your mini-zine, and what to do with them once you're done!
8-page mini zines are the easiest type of zine to make.
Check out our favorite how-to fold along template by Shay Mirk, (also available in Español), then creating your own zine!
Our Zine Library display sign.
Zines about immigration rights and resources prepped for distribution at a Family Town Hall event.
An in-progress zine by a teen during Oakland Public Library's Teen Zine Club, February, 2026.
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