Cosplay In Libraries

Cosplay, comics, anime, and geek culture have exploded into the mainstream over recent years and have resulted in a thriving community of costume enthusiasts and pop culture fans. Today’s cosplayers find inspiration on the pages of comics, classic literature, and even history, as well as film, television, and video games to inform their creative and oftentimes elaborate ensembles. They utilize all manner of materials and techniques including 3D printers, thermoplastics, craft foam, fabric and more to design their costumes and props. Libraries on the leading edge are already embracing this new worldwide sensation by integrating cosplay into their programming and events. Learn all about the world of cosplay and how you can host cosplay events, workshops, makerspaces, clubs, and more in your library! This one-stop guide includes quotes and interviews with librarians who are incorporating cosplay into their programming as well as with cosplayers. You’ll also find 32 full-color photographs of cosplay in action to give you both ideas and inspiration for getting started!

"Pard has created an indispensable guide for all anime clubs." Library Journal, Starred Review Anime (or “Japanese Animation”) has seen a continuing rise in popularity over the past decade of North American pop culture. Droves of die-hard, dedicated fans can be found all over comic shops, conventions, and social media at large, discussing or debating the merits of their favorite Anime fandoms. Public libraries have been quick to catch on, and have long been an excellent gathering place for this community of passionate consumers – be it for movie screenings or anime and manga collection offerings. With the recent widespread adoption of English dubbed content and the explosion of Anime merchandise sales outside of Japan, Anime and Manga are more accessible to North Americans than ever before. In addition to providing a long list of programming examples and ideas, this practical guide will teach librarians how to capture the interest of this fandom community, why the library is the perfect place to do so, and how to expand this thematic programming into further learning and socialization opportunities. Special Features include: Real examples of current and successful Anime Club programs created by librarians. Anime: It’s Not Just “Cartoons”! Discovering opportunities for youth engagement, STEM learning, and vital youth socialization within Japanese Animation. Clear, concise instructions for incorporating one off or series Anime events for all budget ranges and age groups. How to avoid cultural appropriation by engaging your community to make the most out of possible partnerships and resources. Anime Club party plans for a wide range of different holidays. How to obtain public performance rights for anime screenings, Where to find inclusive anime representations of diverse communities

Cosplay, a portmanteau of the words costume play, is a performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character.

This unique guide offers fresh insights on how graphic novels and comics differ from traditional books and require different treatment in the library—from purchasing, shelving, and cataloging to readers' advisory services, programs, and curriculum. Challenging librarians to rethink some of their traditional practices, Maximizing the Impact of Comics in Your Library provides creative and proven solutions for libraries of all types that want to get comics into the hands of fans and promote readership. The author describes how libraries would benefit from an in-house classification system and organization that accounts for both publishers and series. In addition, acquiring comics can often be tricky due to renumbering of series, reboots, shifting creative teams, and more—this book shows you how to work around those obstacles. Shelving and displays that reflect comic readers' browsing habits, creative programs that boost circulation of comics and graphic novels, and how comics can play a vital role in educational institutions are also covered.

From light-up scarves to solar-powered backpacks to health monitoring fabric, innovative combinations of electronics and textiles are becoming more prevalent and impressive all the time, making appearances everywhere from the runway to medical settings. In the near future, these wearable technologies will be a standard part of daily life. E-textiles, including soft circuits, conductive fabrics, and sewable electronics, may not be familiar to all library patrons now, but the way that e-textile projects combine STEM topics with fun, familiar crafts make them popular for library programs, interesting to diverse groups, and a great tool for teaching new skills and techniques. Best of all, e-textile projects can be designed to fit into budgets of all sizes and to appeal to patrons of any age and level of technical proficiency. In this book, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the tools, supplies, techniques, and science behind e-textiles and find out how your library can design successful collections and programs around this hot new topic. The book features key information about the materials and techniques you’ll need to know, examples of libraries that have found success with e-textiles, step-by-step advice on program creation, and projects that can be used for fun and engaging library programs. By the time you finish reading, you will have everything you need to develop a program that will generate excitement within your community and introduce your patrons to new and useful skills. Keep your library on the cutting edge of technology with exciting and engaging e-textiles programming!

Providing a model of critique useful in readers advisory, collection development, and book clubs, this title encourages the inclusion of young adult titles advancing a positive representation of girls in programming and instruction. Even in an era in which there are multiple and wide-ranging conversations about representations of diverse groups in literature, the depiction of girls in young adult literature has received inadequate attention. This text provides a model for understanding how girls are represented in young adult literature that will aid school and youth services librarians in their personal understanding and awareness as they build collections and create programming. It provides practical suggestions for how to use and implement a feminist lens while reading, discussing, and reviewing titles. Included are a list of recommended annotated titles and discussion questions for use in developing appropriate instructional and interesting programs that explore concepts of girlhood, media literacy programs, and diverse collections.

Fandom and geek programming has exploded in libraries in recent years. From anime-themed library lock-in events, cosplay contests, and video game tournaments, to an annual Harry Potter Yule Ball, libraries have embraced their inner geek and are hosting a wide variety of fandom programs. For those librarians who have no idea about the importance of Doctor Who, or the Star Trek vs.Star Wars debate, planning for such programming can seem daunting. Teen Fandom and Geek Programming: A Practical Guide for Librarians covers major fandom and program themes, as well as real-world event, club, and program ideas to help librarians provide this type of programming to their communities. Specifically, detailed coverage is provided for: Major fandoms, including superheroes, anime, Harry Potter, Dr. Who, Sherlock, and video game fandoms including MMOGs, Nintendo, and RPGs Fandom clubs Fanfiction programming Cosplay programming STEM programming through fandoms (graphic design and art; video editing and design; 3D printing) Large-scale geek events Promoting inclusivity through geek programming Use the tips and how-to knowledge in this practical guide to get more teens into your library!

Covering every essential topic ranging from circulation and literacy instruction to reference and security, this benchmark text provides an up-to-date, broadly based view of library public service and its functions. Supplying essential, foundational reading for students of library public services as well as an up-to-date overview for practitioners who wish to refresh their knowledge or acquaint themselves with a new area of responsibility, this book's broad and solid coverage will benefit anyone concerned with developing or maintaining the public face of the library. A revision and expansion of Libraries Unlimited's Introduction to Library Public Services: Seventh Edition, this edition has new chapters covering such topics as e-resources, collections, print and other media, and facilities and funding. Additionally, every chapter has been substantially updated and reorganized to better reflect the role of technology in library services today. The book begins with background information on public services in libraries and an analysis of the library's public service philosophy. Then, the authors delve into staffing and assessment of services, moving logically to major functional areas of public services—reference, instruction, document delivery, circulation and reserves, collections, programming, safety and security issues, and facilities and funding. Real-life anecdotes from public, academic, and school libraries illustrate principles and concepts throughout the book. For each topic, the authors detail its role and philosophy, and offer key points to remember, references, and lists for further reading.

The ninth edition of this popular overview of the various programs and services offered by libraries offers best practice and useful tips for implementing them effectively. Building on the strong foundation of the previous editions, award-winning author G. Edward Evans returns with a new co-author, Stacey Greenwell, for this update that combines their signature style of textbook readability, informality, and sometimes humor, as well as their knack for balancing foundational topics and new trends. A new feature in this edition is the incorporation of the concept of "library social work" through "Social Work Connections" sidebars in each chapter. Anecdotes throughout the text and "Career Connections" sidebars offer practical advice and specific current examples. Greenwell and Evans have combined several chapters from the previous edition and expanded discussions of new trends while retaining and updating the fundamentals. The ninth edition is a welcome update for library and information science courses and a valuable handbook for public services librarians.

“This guide offers background information about how contemporary cosplay has developed as well as nuts and bolts practical information.” —Booklist Have you ever wanted to escape into a comic book and become your favourite superhero? Or run away into the world of Disney princesses? Well, who says you can’t? Maybe it’s time you get your cosplay on! Cosplay is a hobby that is sweeping the globe, you can see it at comic cons, book launches, movie screenings and even on popular TV shows such as The Big Bang Theory and Community. A mix of exciting craft skills, heady escapism and passion for pop culture, it’s easy to see why cosplay has become so popular with people no matter who they are, because now they can be anyone they want, and so can you. But how, why and where could you have a go at starting out in the wonderful world of cosplay? With a little bit of help from this handy, dandy guide to cosplay, you can learn about the history of the hobby (it’s been around longer than you’d think!), get your head around picking you’re first costume, find out how about all the amazing skills people are using to make these costumes, and perhaps even try a few yourself. Who knows, you might be rocking out as Captain Marvel or Flynn Rider at the next big comic con! (And don’t worry, there’s a guide to comic con in here too.) “Swinyard captures the ethos of cosplay and its significance, particularly in marginalized communities. Highly recommended for any nonfiction collection.” —Library Journal