When 55 degree torrential downpours followed a subzero weekend, pipes burst and flooded Papercut Zine Library, soaking and damaging boxes containing several hundred to a thousand zines, many decades-old and irreplaceable. After consulting the New England Document Conservation Center (NEDCC), Papercut librarians quickly moved the soggy zines into the pizza freezer at the landlord’s restaurant across the street. The NEDCC told us the only way to save the zines is to get them professionally vacuum freeze dried, which, between boxing and shipping and treatment at the facility in Pennsylvania, carries a ~$2,000 price tag.

Yesterday we set up this fundraiser and thanks to a swift and enormous outpouring of support, from which we are still reeling, the vacuum freeze drying professionals picked up the ten carefully packed boxes of zines TODAY!  They’re heading to the facility in Allentown, PA this week!  Our fundraising goal also reflects a year of rent, as we have been running low on rent money lately and haven’t even set up internet in the location we’ve been at for nearly a year. With your help, this shan’t be the case for long!

Bye for now, zines! Come back dry and room temperature so we can read and love you again!

Totally happened, btdubs.

Hey folks! Just a reminder that Papercut is open today, and every sunday, from 2-7PM. See you soon at 10 Ward Street in Somerville!

Papercut is now officially OPEN at our new space! Stop by Sundays from 2-7PM (with the exception of Boston Zine Fest weekend, which is October 11th)

We’ve been working hard to rebuild the library and it’s finally READY for you! We’re signing up new members and signing out zines, so come visit! We also have a lot more exciting things in the works – stay tuned ;)

Our new address is 10 Ward St. in Somerville, MA. Street parking is free on Sundays. We’re a 13 minute walk from the Lechemere green line station!

See you soon!

We are in the midst of building shelving and other furniture and should be all ready for visitors as early as this month.

Please keep checking back or join our email list for updates on the official ~grand opening~

We’re so excited to have everyone back to check out zines again!

Oh, shoot. We’ve been doing our best to keep everyone in-the-know about current Papercut happenings, but our best sometimes leaves our website in the dark. There was a fire in our building in March, and while our dear library was luckily untouched by the flames (and by the sprinklers which flooded most other units), we’ve been in a constant battle with the city and our landlord to be allowed back into the space.

We will be opening occasionally over the next few weeks, but are unsure about our regular schedule. The best way to find out is to add us on Facebook or Twitter, or to email or text message us to schedule an appointment.

Another way to view our lovely zines is to check out one of our “Pop-Ups in the Park” events, happening throughout the summer. Or, let us know if you have an event or space you’d like to have a pop-up library at! We will bring 150ish zines with us for you to browse, along with some current zines and merch to buy!

Finally, I’d like to present a short slideshow highlighting our ~forever home~ dreams, in case you all come across a space that may work for us.

Papercut Searches for a New Space

Thanks as always for the support. <3

Co-organized by a PZL librarian, on March 3rd a panel on Harvard’s campus will look at zines in connection with Samizdat, the tradition of underground Soviet self-publishing, and ask questions about countercultural print materials in university archives. Local zinesters and zine librarians Alana Kumbier and Honor Moody will be talking, Alana discussing her recent book Ephemeral Material: Queering the Archive and Honor talking about the zine collection at Radcliffe’s Schlesinger library. See more information on the full panel, “Notes from Underground: Countercultural Print Material from Samizdat to Zines.”

What questions are raised about the growing presence of zines in university collections? What questions and insights are raised about zines when discussing them alongside other historical traditions of self-publishing? Come take part in the conversation!

Time: Tuesday, March 3rd from 4:00 – 6:00pm
Location: 1730 Cambridge Street, Room S020
Free and open to the public

Despite the snow, Papercut has kept very busy with events this winter! Here’s a recap of all of the ziney fun and some events to look out for this month:

In December we had our annual POC Zine Project fundraiser, an event where we shared, swapped, and promoted zines by POC authors.

That same month, we also had a zine release and reading for a collab zine called “Heart & Home.” This event was a cookie swap and functioned as PZL’s annual holiday party. All of the proceeds for this event also went to the POC Zine Project.

All together, our December events raised over $130 for the POCZP!

As for upcoming events, on February 19th we’re having another zine release and reading for Liz: The Zine 3! The theme of the zine is “Why I’m here,” and it’s submission based. (You can email submissions of art, poetry, photography, short essays, and pretty much anything else that tickles your fancy to lizthezine@yahoo.com by February 4th!)

The Liz: The Zine 3 event will be a reading and potluck dinner, so bring your favorite comfort foods!

See y’all soon! Keep warm and stay in touch <3

Papercut will now be open from 2-5 PM every SUNDAY at our temporary space in Allston.

We are closest to these bus lines: 57, 64, 66. We’re also about a ten minute walk from the B line (Harvard Ave. stop)

For our address, to ask about meetings, or other communication: text us at (617) 871-ZINE or email papercut(at)riseup.net !

We are not currently circulating zines, so if you have any out still PLEASE BRING THEM BACK!!!!!

We do have a scanner available for patron use and will also considering photocopying pages for folks if need be!

Love and Copyscams~

Kimberly/Papercut Zine Library

RSVP Here!