Read/Write Library Zine DEADLINE

What: A zine showcasing the volunteers and mission of the Read/Write Library Chicago. We are looking to create a zine that outlines all the exciting things that happen at the library: cataloging, archiving, writing, artmaking, etc.

Sections: There is going to be an introductory section outlining the library’s concrete mission statement, upcoming programs, other factual stuff. We’ll have room for little anecdotal pieces about volunteers’ relationship with the library and the ways in which they found us. In addition, we’ll be showcasing work created by R/W participants in a submissions-based section to follow.

Prompts: We’re looking for anything that might reflect what we do at R/W. You can write about a specific book you’ve cataloged. You can write a short fiction piece. A poem. Sketch out a drawing. Re-image our library on Mars and draw out plans for it. Re-design our logo. Your piece can be related to the library, either loosely or closely. (If you are having trouble deciding if your piece is appropriate for the zine, please contact us.)

Our basic goal is to showcase what we do and who is involved with it. Also, we’re seeking to create an outlet for the many talented volunteers that pepper our roster.

Guidelines: Written pieces should be under 500 words. You can choose to include artwork with written works if you wish. We’re also accepting illustrations and other art unaccompanied by text. Please only submit one piece per person (with the exception of info-driven pieces for the introduction section). We’re hoping to include as many people as possible and to keep our page count to a reasonable amount.

Deadline: Please submit your final versions on or before FEBRUARY 27 at 6:00 p.m. Send all submissions to programming@readwritelibrary.org. For text-based pieces, save submissions in Microsoft Word format. All images should be saved as jpegs or tiffs and compressed to send via e-mail.

The Point of All This? We are going to be selling the zine at Chicago Zine Fest on March 10. All of the proceeds of the zine will go into R/W’s fundraising coffers. Your work will help us keep the library afloat! The zine will also serve as a great written resource about the library that we can pass out at events and have on hand to show visitors. Please consider submitting something.

Additional Help: We’ll be working hard to make the zine look as spiffy as possible. If you’re a design whiz or if you just have interest in helping us proofread, please contact programming@readwritelibrary.org.

We’ll be having a meeting to create the zine coming up, so stay tuned.