Unpopular take: that "community zine library" at the coffee shop actually hurt more than it helped

So there's this cafe downtown, Ground Up, that started a zine library shelf 8 months back. I was excited at first. But then I talked to the owner, Jen, and she told me zines just "vanish" every week so she stopped restocking. She said people grab them like free magazines. I asked if she put a sign up about trading or borrowing. She shrugged and said "it's not my job to police it." That conversation stuck with me because it showed how easy it is to call something a community space without actually building the community part. Has anyone else seen a well-intentioned zine spot fail because nobody set basic ground rules?

2 comments

2 Comments

keithyoung9d ago

Does a jar of cash come with a sign asking people to trade dollars for it, though?

paulc939d ago

Ground Up" might need a new name. Sounds like "Flown the Coop" fits the zine collection better. Jen's got a point about not wanting to play cop, but that's like leaving a jar of cash on the counter and being surprised when it walks away.