By definition, a diamond is the hardest known mineral, usually almost colorless and a square or rhombus shape. When it is transparent and free from flaws, it is highly valued as a precious stone. Although the diamond Jeanie Austin, Ph.D. student in Library and Information Sciences, stumbled upon one day was not made from crystalline carbon and possessed no reflective qualities, it caught her eye nonetheless.

Austin came across a diamond-shaped zine that day, or a self-published work of original texts and images about any topic, though this one was all about diamonds. The printed publication, no bigger than her hand, impressed Austin with its careful construction. It was not the first time she’d read a zine, but its originality resonated with her long after the encounter. 

Part of the appeal of zines is their ability to provide a form of expression for people that want to avoid the restrictions and obstacles found in major publications. 

On Saturday, zines like the one Austin found, along with countless others, will be on display at the MidWest Zine Fest held at the Independent Media Center, or IMC, in Urbana. About 20 tablers, or creators of zines, will be featured at the free event that begins at 11 a.m. 

“There’s something really special to me about zines because somebody spent the time not only saying these things or getting them out there, but thinking about the ways that they could look,” Austin said. “There’s something that’s really intimate about that.”

Since zines are self-published, there are no restrictions to the content. Travel, philosophy, horror, art, memoirs and personal stories are just a few of the topics one can find in a zine.

“People get something that’s a little bit more honest, a little bit more real, and that has great appeal,” said Maggie Taylor, University alumna. 

Both Taylor and Austin were volunteering for the Zine Library at the IMC when they decided to apply for the Urbana Arts Grant and start the MidWest Zine Fest. 

The third annual fest will feature speakers and two workshops — one about finding art in Urbana and another on making art. There will also be a screening of the film, “Twilight of the Mississippi,” which includes documentary-style footage of stories about the Mississippi River. The festival will conclude with a punk show featuring Laughboy, Chain’s Gang and UNNERVE. 

For University alumna Emily Knox, this will be the first time she attends the MidWest Zine Fest. However, she looks forward to all of the different tablers she will see. 

“I think (zines) offer a creative outlet that isn’t tied to a corporation of some sort,” Knox said. 

When Austin was introduced to zine culture through punk shows as a teenager, she was drawn to them because of the freedom that accompanied their production and the attention that a person devoted to making them. Austin and Taylor encourage people to attend the fest, especially if they’ve never encountered a zine before. 

“For some people, reading zines is the first time they became politically-conscious or politically-critical of stuff,” Austin said. “Or it’s maybe the first time they encountered someone like them because they’re isolated from the things that they care about.”

Due to its tiny size, Austin no longer has the diamond-shaped zine. But the impact it left on her was invaluable. 

Alice can be reached at [email protected].