Comics Collections in Libraries Wiki LIS 615

Introduction
Comics in all forms have long been a neglected and misunderstood medium in the library world. Until very recently comics have not been considered worthy for collection among more serious forms of literary expression. Now that comics are enjoying wider acceptance it is imperative that libraries are able to meet user needs in this area. This is frequently difficult to achieve with any degree of success due to a general lack of knowledge about the medium among librarians. Many librarians, like many readers in general, subscribe to societal prejudices regarding the juvenile nature of comics and consider the medium useful only to remedial readers, usually relegating them to youth collections. Recently an awakening to the possibilities of comics has been spreading through libraries providing new opportunities for librarians to share a valuable and useful resource with readers of all ages and reading levels. Listed below are resources in various formats chosen for their value in helping librarians gain a stronger understanding of this medium and for their usefulness in helping librarians to build effective comics collections. The items are organized by format and the formats are listed alphabetically: Books, Journals, Listservs, Online Journal Articles, Print Journal Articles, Videos, and Websites. Following the list are references to reviews and sources mentioned in the annotations for the main resources.

Books
Brenner, R. A. (2007). Understanding manga and anime. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. Japanese forms of sequential art have been popular among young people for years and are currently rising in prominence to include fans of all ages. Serving as an introduction for librarians to manga and anime, this book provides the history of the genres as well as the uses and benefits of adding these items into a library comics collection. Also provided are: explanations of common plots, a look at fan culture, and tips on promotion and advocacy. One of the most helpful aspects of this resource is its glossary due to the genres Japanese origins and unique fan language. Understanding Manga and Anime is highly recommended for all libraries interested in collecting manga and anime by Martha Cornog in her review for Library Journal (2007). Cornog, M. & Perper, T. (2009). Graphic novels beyond the basics: Insights and issues for libraries.Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited. According to its Booklist review: This useful and entertaining guide is recommended for public and academic libraries, for both nascent and established graphic collections (Mcbroom, 2009). Edited in part by Martha Cornog, a frequent contributor to library journals of articles regarding comics, with contributions by many of the most prominent librarians focusing on comics today, this book gives a comprehensive explanation of the subject in all of its various aspects. The first part of the book analyzes the literature of comics in libraries, starting with a general overview of comics in libraries which provides the reader with a foundation for understanding the current views on collecting comics. The book also

attempts to analyze superhero culture and answer questions relevant to how this increasingly popular aspect of pop culture can be harnessed within libraries. Also provided is a chapter explaining Japanese manga from origins through use. Unique to this book are analyses of women in comics and a chapter on comics from around the world. The second part of the book provides more technical and practical information such as collections development, shelving and cataloging issues and preservation. This resource also provides lists of resources for librarians divided according to area of interest such as LGBT interest and Latino interest resources. Goldsmith, F. (2005). Graphic novels now: Building, managing, and marketing a dynamic collection. Chicago, IL: American Library Association. Written by a lifelong comics fan as well as an accomplished librarian this book serves to elucidate various aspects of collecting comics, specifically graphic novels, in a library. The author hopes to expand the discussion of graphic novels among librarians from a mainly youth oriented topic to a wider range of age groups and reading levels. Graphic novels and comics have become increasingly popular over the last 5-10 years and in this book the author attempts to answer the question of Why graphic novels now? in the context of the library environment. The author provides information about where to find good reviews, collection development, classification and cataloging, and tips on marketing and creating programs involving comics. She provides appendices with lists of resources both online and print developed specifically for librarians as well as a list of titles worth collecting in any library. A unique and valuable feature of this resource is the appendix containing sample collection policies. The review in Library Media Connection says of this book: "Whether the prospective reader is considering the inclusion of graphic novels for the first time, or struggling with cataloging questions or community perceptions, this is an invaluable resource (Robinson, 2006)." Goldsmith, F. (2010). The readers advisory guide to graphic novels. Chicago, IL: American Library Association. As a librarian how do I effectively guide patrons in the use of the librarys graphic novel collection? This is the main question answered by this ALA publication geared towards librarians in charge of or involved with comics collections. This book has two chapters useful for both reference librarians and collections librarians which provide a list, including short descriptions, of graphic novels librarians should be familiar with. There is also a Professional Tools chapter listing bibliographies, websites, fansites, awards, journals, courses and conferences helpful to anyone collecting graphic novels in a library. Although the review is not glowing, based on the books primary emphasis on American works to the detriment of the international aspects of the medium, it does take a positive position on the utility of the resource, mentioning that: "This book would be useful for those who need to know about graphic novels, but its broad coverage means that it is not only for newcomers to the field (Foster, 2010)." The novice as well as the long-time fan can take something valuable from this resource to use in building their collection. Miller, S. (2005). Developing and promoting graphic novel collections. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publishers. Focused on collecting graphic novels for a teen audience this book outlines the various aspects involved in starting or continuing a youth collection. The author writes for the intended audience of teen librarians within the school library or public library fields. As listed in the Booklist review by Shelley Glantz some of the topics touched on are: collection development, advocacy, cataloging and inherent

challenges in collecting graphic novels for teens (Glantz, 2005). The book also provides helpful lists of popular titles and publishers. Serchay, D. S. (2010). The librarians guide to graphic novels for adults. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers. Comics are not only for kids! Or so says David Serchay in his book on graphic novel collections oriented towards an adult audience. The book is divided into two parts: one about graphic novels as a medium and their utility in a library and the other focused on developing and managing a graphic novel collection for adult users. Almost every aspect of collecting graphic novels is dealt with from purchasing through cataloging, advocacy, shelving and censorship as well as many more essesntial topics for librarians to consider. A very detailed list of collectable books is provided as well as a list of publishers and lists of online resources such as publishing and purchasing sites, sites with reviews, listservs and academic resources. The review in Reference & User Services Quarterly says it all: "The book is so thorough that if a librarian were to drop down from Mars having never seen a comic in her life, Serchay's descriptions and background information would allow her to understand them well (Golomb, 2010)." Weiner, R. G. (Ed.). (2010). Graphic novels and comics in libraries and archives: Essays on readers, research, history and cataloging. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland & Co. Edited by the associate humanities librarian at Texas Tech University, this collection of essays deals with the more recent questions and aspects of sequential art collecting in libraries including cataloging, history of collecting, collecting Webcomics, outreach, and archiving. A majority of the essays mainly focus on academic libraries but the book also includes information for public and school libraries. As mentioned in a review in Library Journal the work as a whole opens a wide vista of case studies, opinions, and hard data about comics in libraries (Cornog, 2010).

Journals
Dickson, G. & Medvetz, W. (Eds). Library Media Connection. Linworth Publishing, Inc. Library Media Connection is described by a review on Ulrichsweb as: A professional journal for school library media and technology specialists which offers reviews, professional development, and practical articles for its readers (Jackson, 2011). The journal features a regular article by Michele Gorman, the Teen Services Manager of ImaginOn at the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County and the author of multiple books about comics in libraries, titled Getting Graphic, in which she mentions issues involved in the collection of comics in libraries and reviews comics materials for use in libraries. Fialkoff, F (Ed.). Library Journal. New York, NY: Library Journals, Llc. Available in print and online this journal, published 20 times per year on a semimonthly basis, deals with all things library. As far as comics are concerned, the journal hosts a regular column by Martha Cornog and Steve Raiteri about comics in libraries. The article provides reviews of recent graphic novels and other relevant information for building and managing a comics collection written by two librarians with a long history in comics collections. Martha Cornog has edited a book on the subject and Steve Raiteri

has developed a website about comics in libraries. This journal is suggested by Anne Behler, librarian at Penn State, in her article on comics collections in libraries (Behler, 2006, p. 19). This resource is also "recommended for all library professionals" by its reviewer on Ulrichsweb (Jackson, 2011). Hodler, T. & Nadel, D. (Eds.) The Comics Journal: The Magazine of Comics News and Criticism. Seattle, WA: Fantagraphics Books, Inc. Recommended by the collections management text book by Peggy Johnson (2009, p. 347) as well as by Anne Behler (2006, p.18) in her article about comics in libraries, this journal provides comics news and comics related articles on subjects and titles not usually covered by more mainstream comics resources. It also has a regularly updated website, ( http://www.tcj.com/ ) free for everyone, containing a features section with articles about comics written by the editors and other contributors, a columns section containing a weekly updated column about new releases and up-and-coming works, comics reviews, and a list of comics events. For the more experienced comics collector in a library this site may provide more in depth information on a wider variety of comics and comics related topics than some of the other sites that often stick to standards within the library community. The site may be a little overwhelming to beginners to the medium due to the quantity and variety of topics covered. Thomas Bruno states: "This is an essential resource for both general and specialized library collections, a rare combination of celebration and critique for a field that is just coming into its own (2011)."

Journal Articles
Badman, D. A. (2009). Comics studies resources for scholarly research. C&RL News, 70(10), 574-576. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.. Composed for C&RL News, the online publication of the Association of College and Research Libraries which is a division of the American Library Association dealing mainly with adademic libraries, this list compiles resources helpful to those pursuing scholarly research goals in the field of comics. The links are organized by format such as: discussion lists and forums, journals, bibliographies, databases, organizations, library collections, museums, blogs, podcasts, and a miscellaneous section. The list is available online from the Association of College and Research Libraries website ( http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/publications/crlnews/2009/nov/comics.cfm ) and almost all of the links work except for the Comics Studies Podcast link. The Journalista blog link doesnt lead directly to the blog but can be found easily through searching. This list is also available in wiki form: http://www.wikis.ala.org/acrl/index.php/Comics_Studies Matz, Chris. (2004). Collecting comic books for and academic library. Collection Building, 23(2), 96-99. Chris Matz, collection development librarian at the University of Memphis Libraries, starts this article with an outline of the current thinking as regards comics collecting in academic libraries and then lists and explains the utility of various selection tools helpful for librarians as well as listing for consideration ten different comics creators essential when forming academic library collections. The article also contains a list of websites serving as useful resources to academic librarians responsible for collecting comics. Brief and to the point this resource is a great starting point for an academic librarian tasked with building a comics collection.

Toren, B.J. (2011). Bam! Pow! Graphic novels fight stereotypes in academic libraries: supporting, collecting, promoting. Technical Services Quarterly, 28(1), 55-69. Retrieved from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database. An article examining the presence of comics in ARL (Association of Research Libraries) member libraries, Bam! Pow! presents its information in the hopes of inspiring academic libraries to increase their collection of comics. The author studies the increase of comics collection between 2008 and 2009. She also includes information about promoting and collecting comics in academic libraries, such as: what to collect, how to shelve comics/graphic novels, how to coordinate with other areas that have corresponding materials like movies based on comics, and using displays, workshops and speakers to get the word out and promote interest in the medium among users. Wagner, C. (2010). Graphic novel collections in academic ARL libraries. College & Research Libraries, 71(1), 42-8. Retrieved from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database. An often overlooked aspect of comics in library collections is their value as a resource for research. This article also examines comics collections within the environment of academic research libraries that are members of the Association of Research Libraries. The purpose of the study is finding out how frequently comics are collected in academic libraries, which the study concludes is not frequently enough. A short but detailed history of comics and comics in libraries is provided as well as an explanation of why comics are becoming more accepted in academic libraries and suggestions on improving the image of comics in this setting. This resource is helpful to any academic librarians attempting to come to terms with the idea of collecting comics as part of their scholarly research material and is useful in getting an idea of how other academic libraries are handling this issue.

Listservs
Kashtan, A. [List Moderator], Ault, D. [List Owner]. Comix Scholars Discussion List. Retreived on February 6, 2011 from: http://www.english.ufl.edu/comics/scholars/ The University of Florida's Comic Studies Department created and maintains this listserv as a place for comics scholars of all kinds such as researchers, writers, teachers and librarians to locate and discuss scholarly and professional information in the field of comics. The listserv takes an academic approach to comics and sequential art as does the comics program at UFL. As noted on the webpage listed above the listserv exists: to call attention to potentially useful scholarship and other resources; and to post calls for submissions for books, journals, and conferences. The list is also a forum for discussing job searches, pedagogy, library acquisitions, financial resources, and other institutional factors that affect comics scholarship.

Videos

Trejo, Camille [Producer]. Local Life: VCU Comics [Video file]. Retreived on February 6, 2011 from: http://www.vcutvhd.vcu.edu/shows/local/comics.html An episode of the student produced VCU TV/HD Local Life Series, this film focuses on the comics scene surrounding Virginia Commonwealth University from the schools visual arts program to the local community and the librarys impressive collection of over 25,000 comics. Although the entire film is valuable to understanding the effect a comics collection in an academic library can have on a community within and separate from its university it also has a long segment specifically detailing the comics collection of the James Branch Cabell Library on the VCU campus (minutes 35:52-48:37). The film touches on aspects such as promotion to the community, storage and preservation of comics, organization and cataloging of comic books and other non-standard materials corresponding to comics collections and use by the community.

Websites
Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (2011) Bookshelf. Retrieved from: http://bookshelf.diamondcomics.com/public/ Developed by Diamond Comic Distributors to inform librarians and educators about comics, this website provides comics news, interviews with editors, suggested reading lists, and lists of new and upcoming releases. Also provided are articles about collecting comics in libraries, such as articles on: managing manga collections, selecting comics while working around budget cuts, cataloging for comics, and preserving comics. Some of the articles are written by experienced librarians prominent in the comics arena although some articles are unattributed. A page listing useful monographic resources for librarians is provided as well, recommending a few of the books listed on this wiki as well as many others. This website is recommended by the University of New York comics webpage also mentioned in this section. This website is updated daily and is linked to by over 500 other websites. Lavin, Mike. (2009). Comic Books: Internet Resources. Retrieved from: http://library.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/comics.html An online list compiled by Michael Lavin, author of multiple reference books and librarian and visiting professor of the LIS program at the University at Buffalo-State University of New York, this resource collects information in regards to collecting comics in libraries and finding comics resources. Not designed for librarians only, the list serves as a valuable tool when researching the subject for librarians and researchers alike. The list is divided by topic and form such as: manga, bibliographies, collection development tools, organizations, and more. Each item in the list is described briefly and linked to its corresponding website. This website was last updated in October, 2009 and is linked to by over 4,000 other websites. LePage, C. (2010). ComicList. Retrieved from: http://www.comiclist.com/index.html Updated weekly, this website provides a list of newly released comics categorized by publisher and title. It is a quick way to find out what is new in comics and what will be available in the near future. Publishers listed include a large variety, mainstream and independent, and are not limited to comics-

only publishers but anyone who publishes a work of or on sequential art. Some examples of publishers are: the University of Mississippi Press, DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, and Dynamite. The list provides the publisher, issue number and price for each item. This website is recommended by the previously mentioned University of New York comics website, was last updated March 14, 2011 and is to linked to by over 7,000 other sites. Poitras, Gilles. (2007). The librarians guide to anime and manga. Retrieved from: http://www.koyagi.com/Libguide.html Referenced in the article Collecting comic books for and academic library by Chris Matz (mentioned above in the print journal section) as a useful source for librarians collecting manga and other Japanese illustrated materials this website contains useful information regarding terminology as well as aspects of comics collecting specific to anime and manga. It also includes information on finding reviews, finding further resources, special considerations for libraries collecting manga and a list of title recommendations. An email list is provided by the website for those who have questions regarding manga and a list of special considerations for librarians is provided putting manga in a wider cultural context and enumerating the many and varied nuances of the genre. This website was last updated on April 20, 2010 and is linked to by almost 300 other websites.

References
Behler, A. (2006). Getting started with graphic novels. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 46(2), 16-21. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Bruno, T. (2011). Ulrichsweb Full Citation [The Comics Journal: the magazine of comics news & criticism]. Retrieved March 15, 2011 from: http://libproxy.uncg.edu:2424/ulrichsweb/Search/fullCitation.asp?tab=6&navPage=1&serial_uid=15842 0&issn=01947869 Cornog, M. (2010). Graphic novels and comics in libraries and archives: Essays on readers, research, history, and cataloging [Review]. Library Journal, 135(12), 67. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Cornog, M. (2007). Understanding manga and anime. Library Journal, 132(15), 46. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Foster, J. (2010). The readers advisory guide to graphic novels *Review+. The Australian Library Journal, 59(1-2), 58. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Glantz, S. (2005). Developing and promoting graphic novel collections [Review]. Booklist, 102(1), 174174. Retrieved from: EBSCOhost. Golomb, L. (2010). The librarian's guide to graphic novels for adults [Review]. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 50(1), 87. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Jackson, A. (2011). Ulrichsweb Full Citation [Library journal]. Retrieved March 13, 2011 from: http://libproxy.uncg.edu:2424/ulrichsweb/Search/fullCitation.asp?tab=6&navPage=1&serial_uid=48829 &issn=03630277 Jackson, A. (2011). Ulrichsweb Full Citation [Library media connection]. Retrieved February 6, 2011 from: http://libproxy.uncg.edu:2424/ulrichsweb/Search/fullCitation.asp?tab=6&navPage=1&serial_uid=13264 6&issn=15424715 Johnson, P. (2009). Fundamentals of collection development and management. Chicago, IL: American Library Association. McBroom, K. (2009). Graphic novels beyond the basics: Insights and issues for libraries [Review]. Booklist, 106(6), 56. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Robinson, L. (2006). Graphic novels now: Building, managing, and marketing a dynamic collection [Review]. Library Media Connection, 24(7), 89. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.