Santa Rosa Zine Fest
Sonoma County Library
Innovation Synopsis
Sonoma County Library and SRZF (artist/activist collective) collaboratively launched the first Santa Rosa Zine Fest, a virtual event on November 7, 2020. The event’s goal was to uplift marginalized voices, celebrate local talent, encourage meaningful conversations and inspire new creators. All organizers and presenters were BIPOC and/or LGBTQ.
Challenge/Opportunity
We launched Santa Rosa Zine Fest during the height of the pandemic, following a summer of protests calling for racial justice. Our community endured isolation and sought to express themselves in active ways and rebuild connections. Zine Fest gave participants the opportunity to share their voices and visions in a tangible format that validated and celebrated their experiences. The event was intentionally designed to reach our multicultural communities, resulting in a queer, BIPOC-focused, bilingual event.
Key Elements of Innovation
A collaboration between the library and a community collective featuring: Digital Artists Alley; Interactive conversation between Amanda Ayala (she/her) and RJ Simon (he/they); Discussion between authors Maia Kobabe (e/em/eir) and Tessa Hulls (she/her); Hands-on workshop by Yael Levy (she/her); and: First use of Zoom webinar and Spanish interpretation in library system; Collaboratively designed logo; Teen/Zine kits with template; Zine booklists; Event Instagram; Opportunity to submit to library’s archive.
Achieved Outcomes
- 100-plus attendees
- Attracted non-library users, many artists themselves
- Zine kits distributed to teens with limited access to art supplies
- Interpretation increased accessibility for Spanish-speakers
- Lively discussion in the chat about creative self-expression during the pandemic
- Zines submitted to the library’s archive
- Positive feedback including “Many thanks to you and your team for creating this incredible gathering of artist-writer-maker-thought leaders for our community”
