Comic Book Collections For Libraries

This book will help librarians extend literary graphic novel collections to attract a large, untapped group of comic book readers with a sure-to-be-popular comic book collection. Do comic books belong in libraries? Absolutely—as Comic Book Collections for Libraries makes very clear. This illustrated guide defines the role of comic books in the modern library, provides a thorough grounding in the subject for beginners, and suggests new ideas for those already familiar with these perennial reader favorites. The book begins by introducing the structure of the comic book, industry players, and genres. The bulk of the guide, however, is comprised of actionable advice on such things as creating and maintaining the collection, cataloging for effective access, and promoting the collection, including how to feature comics with other library materials, such as movies and games. Drawing on the authors' experience, the volume answers numerous other questions as well. How can you tell which titles are age-appropriate for your library? Which titles are popular? How do you include characters that will appeal to diverse reader groups? Complete with checklists and a rich array of examples, this easy-to-use work can make every librarian a superhero.

Comic Book Collections and Programming will help librarians build a collection that’s right for their library, including specialty collections for kids, teens, and adults. It covers the practical realities of this non-traditional format, like binding, weeding, and budgeting. It also address advanced topics like comics and pedagogy, bringing comics artists and authors into the library, and using comics as a community outreach tool – even hosting comic conventions in libraries. The guide covers: Comics for kids, teens, and adults. Comics genres from superheroes to fantasy to Manga; from memoirs and biographies to science texts to Pulitzer Prize winning literature. Comics publishers and distributors. Comics history and influential contemporary creators. Online resources and communities. After reading the guide, librarians will be able to: Organize creator visits and events. Plan and produce community anthologies. Host drawing parties and comic discussion groups. Preserve comics in a library environment Develop, run, and grow a library-based comic convention. This is an essential reference for collections librarians, children’s librarians, and teen librarians, whether they are comics-lovers or have never read an issue. The guide is aimed at public, academic, and school libraries.

Comic book properties continue to dominate popular culture, and there has been continued growth in the academic field of Comics Studies. Graphic novels and comic trade paperbacks populate the shelves of many academic libraries. Single issue collections of "floppy" comic books, however, tend to find their home in special collections libraries because their flimsy construction, highly acidic paper, and, occasionally, the scarcity of certain specific issues warrants special storage and handling. Thoughtful consideration must go into any decision to begin or sustain these collections. Comic Books, Special Collections, and the Academic Library collects best practices for the acquisition, preservation, storage, and cataloging of comics, particularly single-issue (or floppy) comics, within the special collections units of academic library collections. Four sections answer: Why Should Your Institution Collect Comics? Your Library Collects or Wants to Collect Comics. Now What? How Do You Engage in Library Instruction and Outreach with Your Comics Collection? How Can Comics Be Used as Primary and Secondary Source Material by Students and Faculty? Chapters address challenges specific to comic book collections in academic libraries, such as finding space and funds to build a collection, making diverse and inclusive collections, leading innovative library instruction sessions with comics, and working with undergraduate and graduate students on comics research. Comic Books, Special Collections, and the Academic Library can help you develop, cultivate, grow, catalog, and make use of comic book collections.

This is the most comprehensive dictionary available on comic art. The catalog provides detailed information about more than 60,000 cataloged books, magazines, scrapbooks, fanzines, comic books, and other materials in the Michigan State University Libraries, America's premiere library comics collection. Each book or serial is listed by title, with entries as appropriate under author, subject, and series. Besides the traditional books and magazines, significant collections of microfilm, sound recordings, vertical files, and realia (mainly T-shirts) are included. Comics and related materials are grouped by nationality and by genre.

Packed with expert guidance and useful information, this guide will assist technical services staff, catalogers, and acquisition and collection management librarians.

To say that graphic novels, comics, and other forms of sequential art have become a major part of popular culture and academia would be a vast understatement. Now an established component of library and archive collections across the globe, graphic novels are proving to be one of the last kinds of print publications actually gaining in popularity. Full of practical advice and innovative ideas for librarians, educators, and archivists, this book provides a wide-reaching look at how graphic novels and comics can be used to their full advantage in educational settings. Topics include the historically tenuous relationship between comics and librarians; the aesthetic value of sequential art; the use of graphic novels in library outreach services; collection evaluations for both American and Canadian libraries; cataloging tips and tricks; and the swiftly growing realm of webcomics.

Scott (librarian, Michigan State U. Libraries) covers comics librarianship as a specialty, acquisitions, storage and preservation, cataloging, and "being the expert," and describes how and why a world- class comics collection has grown over the past 20 years at Michigan State. A glossary, a directory of special collections, and a list of research topics are also included. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This research study has several objectives. The first is to research graphic novels and comic books, their history and the issues this visual and literary medium has had with censorship, with preconceived notions that the medium is only meant for a juvenile audience, and with the development of rating standards. The second objective is to study current literature that has been written by scholars and librarians on this medium. This exploration of graphic novels and comic books and the scholarship and collection development efforts related to them provides a foundation for considering the issues and challenges which current and future librarians may have to face, in maintaining this literary form in library collections. The third objective is to conduct a focus group and to survey librarians in Tennessee from a range of backgrounds in order to consider a number of questions, including: if these librarians have encountered patrons who challenged having these books included in their institutions' collections, what age range the surveyed librarians believe this medium is meant to appeal to, and how the librarians would rate content in comic books and graphic novels; such as, violence, language, sexual activity, etc.; including terms used by publishers in their rating standards to describe different levels of content. The results from this study showed there was quite a difference between what librarians feel is appropriate for the levels they were given and the types of content; with there being usually at least a 2 - 3 year age difference between the top two to three options chosen or there being a difference between the participants selecting an age range and selecting either "All Ages" or "None" as appropriate. The literature research and the data obtained from the survey along with the responses received from the focus group indicate that, since the majority of participants stated they "sometimes" experienced selection difficulties and problems with cataloging and shelving these books, picking an appropriate age range for a comic book or graphic novel is very subjective and librarians and publishers are still a long way away from agreeing on the appropriateness of the content.

This book represents an ongoing effort to fill the void in the library literature relating to collection development policies. The authors, whose experience each spans four decades as library educators and practitioners, created the book--as well as a forthcoming companion volume devoted to school libraries--to assist both library school students and professionals in the field in the compilation, revision, and implementation of collection development policies. Cutting edge trends such as digital document delivery and library cooperation are also covered. Furthermore, given the premise that a well-rounded policy reflects all activities concerning the collection management process--including the evaluation, selection, acquisition, and weeding of information resources--it is hoped that this work will also prove useful to non-librarians possessing some kind of stake in high quality library holdings, such as library board members, politicians, and administrators directly responsible for library operations, and institutional patrons.