A zine, short for fanzine or magazine, is a DIY* subculture self-publication, usually made on paper and reproduced with a photocopier or printer. Zine creators are often motivated by a desire to share knowledge or experience with people in marginalized or otherwise less-empowered communities. The Art-Zines in the display case on the Ground Floor of the University Library have been loaned to us by University of Portsmouth’s Zineopolis curator, Jac Batey.  Selected and curated by two MA Illustration students, Kate and Josie, many of the examples reflect the theme of journeys.

A few months ago I received an unexpected and tentative request from a two alumni who were about to be married, asking permission for a pre-wedding photoshoot in the University Library because they had so many happy memories of courting while they were students here. Naturally, my colleagues and I were delighted to welcome our alumni back and were excited to see the now married couple’s happiness celebrated by the University.

Our lovely student volunteers studying Illustration, Kate and Josie, are helping us lead a Zine-Making workshop for Portsmouth Bookfest on Saturday 22 February. This is a free event which can be booked via the P ublic Library’s Children’s Bookfest webpage. …

Create a zine at BookFest! Read more »

Studying business? Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to get the most from your degree with doctoral business student and consultant Nathan Ghann. Learn how he went from just 2 GCSEs to becoming a doctoral student and benefit from his tips for getting the most from your degree as easily as possible.

Join Nathan for a 75 minute session where he will share his transformative journey from being a failing student to achieving a first-class degree and attaining a 70% grade average.

The British Cartographic Society has made membership FREE for full-time students in Higher Education. You can now sign up simply but demonstrating you have a student email address. You don’t have to be a cartographer: the society is open to anyone with a love of maps.

The PGM Ambassadors have created a fabulous display in the Heritage Hub display space, just outside the Park Building café. If you are in Portsmouth, I thoroughly recommend checking it out! For those of you learning at a distance, you can view much of the display material on the Library website. It’s definitely worth a look!

7 February is Charles Dickens Day, when we celebrate Portsmouth’s most famous Victorian author. Born to a Victorian Portsmouth in 1812, the son of a naval payroll clerk, Charles Dickens was prodigiously industrious and despite an interrupted schooling, enjoyed a …

Happy Charles Dickens Day! Read more »

Whether you are looking to experience lives you will never live, uncover astonishing new worlds of the imagination, keep up with your hobbies, learn about the world beyond academia, listen to an audiobook while out for a run, or you are into browsing digital magazines on the bus, the public library service has something for you.

29 January marks the start of the Chinese Year of the Snake in the popular interpretation of the Chinese Zodiac. The Chinese calendar is a cyclical lunisolar calendar that still holds great cultural and religious significance in many Far Eastern cultures. One of the biggest celebrations of the Chinese year, celebrated by a series of festivities rooted in Chinese folklore, such as fireworks and firecrackers.

The Holocaust proved what can happen given the right conditions, with a compliant people under the sway of a demagogue. It reminds us of the ever-present threat of tyranny, discrimination and persecution that we must resist every day. It is up to each of us to challenge language, assumptions and behaviours that have no place in an inclusive society.