Denver Zine Library

Steve Replogle

a year ago •

Dedication - that’s what struck me when I visited the Denver Zine Library. Dedication. The library itself is an institution that survives, and perhaps only barely, on the dedicated efforts of volunteers and donors. The zines themselves, not likely to turn a profit, embody a dedication to expression in a very pure form. The shelves are bursting with issue after issue of personal expression, sometimes crude but other times exquisite, driven by creative energy, by art for art’s sake. It’s a center of dedication. It’s a place of devotion. The library is on the second floor, in a space used as an artist’s studio during the week. There are posters and trinkets, there’s an antique (or at least very old) typewriter. The zines are in all shapes and sizes, all colors and kinds of papers, too - and in every format you can imagine. They are in file boxes mostly, organized by subject and then by author. You can find many comics zines there, lots of music zines, many persozines (personal, autobiographical zines). There are sections for zines on sports, poetry, travel, and much more. The Denver Zine Library hosts an annual Zine Fest (a conference, convention, and bazaar in one) and it has gained notice nationwide. But the library itself is worth visiting. Give yourself lots of time, and bring your own sense of dedication. There’s a lot to read and to look at!

Ruben Conner

10 months ago •

Fascinating space, with thousands of pre-internet zines that you can leaf through. A lot of real counterculture material and a neat window into the voices of punks and others throughout the 80s and 90s.