Who We Are:

Glasgow Zine Library believes in the radical power of DIY culture. Established first as a small festival run by two pals in 2013, GZL is now a charity, a self-publishing library and community arts space in Govanhill, Glasgow. GZL is the largest independent zine library in the UK with an international  collection of over 4,000 zines. We welcome around 9,000 people each year, across over 150 events, delivered in partnership with hundreds of artists. We are run by a small dedicated local team with the support of over 60 volunteers.

Zines (self-published magazines) are part of the rich history of radical self-publishing. They are small-scale publications that can be made by anyone. Often they are the only records of subcultures, countercultures, and alternative movements. Zines are used for creative expression and to share information, distribute resources and build community – on topics from fan culture to social justice. GZL was founded to preserve these stories, create opportunities to tell new ones, and celebrate DIY arts culture and zine heritage. 

Our Values

We believe that DIY creativity is a tool for empowerment, resistance, and collective joy, helping communities to envisage alternative futures through shared creative expression. We value accessibility, democracy, and social justice, and we envision a world where everyone benefits from equal access and participation in arts and heritage.

That’s why we are committed to addressing structural barriers to culture, why we prioritise partnerships and opportunities for BPOC, LGBTQI+, disabled and low-income communities, and why all our activities are free or pay-what-you-can. Our space is fully wheelchair accessible, and we programme a mixture of online and in person events, BSL interpretation, live captioning, and audio description – see our access guide.

Our Mission Aims:

  • Celebrating and preserving zine culture.

  • Uplifting the experiences, practices and imaginations of marginalised creatives.

  • Resourcing zine making and DIY creativity

  • Building community care, connection and joy

  • Democratising access to community arts and heritage

What We Do:

We meet our aims through our activities:

  • We have a Zine Collection and archive which are free to visit, read and enjoy

  • A publicly accessible library and community space, with a free-to-use Making Room where you can work on your own projects using our arts materials, printer, scanner, desktop with design software, and more.

  • We run Glasgow Zine Fest, an annual celebration of zine culture and a weekend-long programme of DIY arts events. Our flagship Zine Fair brings together makers from all over the world to sell their zines.

  • We deliver a year-round a Public Arts Programme of DIY arts talks, workshops and other activities – all pay-what-you-can with access provisions.

  • We provide a Community-Led Programme, aiming to support local creative groups and events.

  • We offer Professional Development Opportunities, such as volunteering, internships, placements, residencies and commissions, supporting people into the cultural sector.

  • We offer Venue Hire at affordable rates, providing accessible, creative space and materials.

  • You can learn from us: we offer zine-making workshops in the library and at your location for individuals, groups and organisations – a great opportunity for team building and learning new skills!

You can make affordable and accessible community art spaces like this a possibility for others like you in the future, and support us.  

Be a part of our community and become a Patreon member.