SelectioNotes - Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives

The buzz surrounding graphic novels and comics in libraries has been building for a while, but the boom has recently blown wide open. Comics and graphic novels, for decades considered a format inferior to traditional literature, have finally come into their own as a method of storytelling akin to film, picture books, or recorded books. This achievement is not a small one, but many people, from librarians to patrons, have trouble getting over old ideas: comics are only for kids, aren't they? Which ones are the ones to buy, both in terms of popularity and quality?

Graphic novels and comics are now being featured in wider media such as Time and Entertainment Weekly, but the information librarians need to build their collections can best be found from other librarians. Of course, another valuable source includes certain comics industry reviewers who still know these works better than anyone else. The comment I most frequently hear from librarians is simply that they don't know where to start, and most don't have the time or the inclination to dive into the fan-focused literature and community surrounding comics.

Before we get into to the nitty-gritty list of where to go, here are a few points to remember when embarking on selecting and purchasing graphic novels for your library:

First, and you'll hear this from every graphic novel enthusiast on the planet, graphic novels and comics are not a genre but a format. Comics are presented in a format defined as sequential art – thus the panels, the text bubbles, and all of the usual trademarks of your local newspaper’s comic strips. In terms of genre, remember that while superhero tales traditionally dominated the comics industry in the U.S., today's graphic novels range into every possible genre, from literary fiction to memoir to fantasy.

Second, despite the lingering idea that comics, and thus graphic novels, are for kids, most comics printed today are aimed at adults. According to a recent reader's survey by Diamond Comics, the largest distributor of comics in the U.S., the average age of comics readers is 29, and the products reflect that. Be aware that most comics will be appropriate for teens and adults -- it takes a bit more digging these days to find the comics appropriate for kids.

Third, it takes most readers a while to adjust to reading comics. Comics represent a different kind of literacy -- a visual one. The best metaphor I have come up with is that reading a graphic novel is more like reading an illustrated screenplay than any other experience. The words are separated into short description and dialogue with the images contributing the detail and mood of the action. In our world awash with visual media, from the TV to the Internet, visual literacy is necessary, but to new eyes the text bubbles and panels of comics can be daunting. Give yourself, and your readers, time to figure out how to puzzle through this format.

Who am I to be handing out advice, you might ask? Well, first, I was not too long ago standing just where you are now. In years past, I knew very little about graphic novels, having no sense of comics except as pop culture references to Superman and Batman. As a child I had read piles of Archie and Garfield comics, and as a teen I had read and enjoyed Art Speigelman's Maus, without ever connecting that these books were, in fact, comics. Then, two years ago, I was asked by my colleague, Pamela Ikauniks -- the Young Adult Librarian at Cary Memorial Library in Lexington, MA -- to go and figure out what all this noise was about graphic novels.

The rest, as they say, is history. I was in love – as both an artist and a writer, comics seemed to arrive in my world just in time to combine my two top storytelling forms into one creative package. From that moment on, I became a fan and advocate of graphic novels in libraries. I devoured every one I could find, first those with teen appeal, the audience first identified within libraries as fans of the format, and then on through titles aimed at adults and at children. The variety and quality of graphic novels in the U.S. and from other countries was and is dizzying and wonderful.

As I rambled on about my newfound love to various colleagues, I began to see just how difficult it was for my fellows to navigate the world I was happily embracing. I could share my knowledge individually, of course, but I knew that was only a drop in the bucket. When the occasion arose to create a Reader's Advisory website for my Young Adult Services class as part of my MLS, I immediately thought of a guide to graphic novels for both teens and those who serve them. The result was No Flying, No Tights (http://www.noflyingnotights.com). Though that class is now long behind me, my website is still a labor of love and, happily, recognized by Booklist and School Library Journal as a resource for librarians. One of the most invigorating and rewarding aspects of my work with graphic novels, from publishing my website to speaking at workshops and conferences, is doing what I can to help fellow librarians figure it all out.

Now, on to the biggest question for a completely new reader: where do I start? If you look at no other resources from this article, there are two I must recommend right away to get you started. Understanding Comics, by Scott McCloud is an excellent introduction to sequential art and its history. This title is invaluable in simply educating yourself about the format. Though his definitions may feel a bit academic, McCloud prepares you for diving in to the world of comics and gives you the advantage when trying to puzzle through reading your first graphic novel.

To go over all the details a librarian will need in starting a collection, my second short and sweet resource is The Public Librarian’s Guide to Graphic Novels printed by Book Wholesalers, Inc. (http://www.bwibooks.com). This booklet succinctly covers the general topics of graphic novels, from vocabulary to cataloging questions to displaying titles. Librarians can request this booklet from BWI directly – they’re happy to send them out without any obligation. Simply email your request to collection.development@bwibooks.com or call the 800 number listed on their web page. Once you’ve gotten the basics down, it’s time to move on to the more in-depth literature out there.

There is, as of yet, no single trusted resource for reviews of graphic novels for librarians. Within the past year, many columns and special issues in library literature have featured graphic novels, and all are excellent resources. For adults and teens, Booklist now features a graphic novel review section highlighting recent tiles and indicating age appropriateness for each title. Library Journal includes Steve Ratieri's section of reviews every other month, and School Library Journal highlights titles in Steve Weiner’s “Graphic Novel Roundup.” Readers should also seek out Steve Raiteri’s more conversational column in The Shy Librarian. Voice of Youth Advocates has long featured Kat Kan's wonderful column, "Graphically Speaking," addressing teen audiences’ needs. School Library Journal's August 2002 issue was devoted to graphic novels, as were Booklist’s February 2003 and February 2004 issues.

For those with a bit more time, there are many reference books available for librarians on graphic novels, many about to be published and all of which include recommended lists of titles. Steve Weiner's 100 Graphic Novels for Public Libraries remains one of the first titles many librarians go to, and he has just published Faster than a Speeding Bullet: The Rise of the Graphic Novel, a short history of American graphic novels, both published by NBM. Michele Gorman's Getting Graphic! Using Graphic Novels to Promote Literacy with Preteens and Teens, from Linworth Press, is a great guide to all the ins and outs of using graphic novels with teens. On the horizon are a slew of new titles including Developing and Promoting Graphic Novel Collections by Steve Miller, published by Neal-Schuman in April, as well as a title by Kat Kan from Scarecrow Press and a graphic novel teen genre guide from Mike Pawuk published by Libraries Unlimited.

I applaud the existence of these ever growing sections and cover articles, but because of the sheer volume of graphic novels published there is still a lot of ground that must be covered elsewhere. Many librarians, myself included, have created a variety of web resources. The most obvious resources to go to first are core or recommended lists. Core lists are, by nature, a bit tricky -- the comics industry has an extremely quick turnover rate and titles go out of print very quickly. Thus, despite each list being a very worthy collection of titles, keep in mind some may no longer be available for purchase.

One of the first websites, and still the most comprehensive list of superhero titles, is Steve Ratieri's Recommended Graphic Novels for Public Libraries (http://my.voyager.net/~sraiteri/graphicnovels.htm). This list, though not as frequently updated since Mr. Ratieri started his column for Library Journal, still provides an excellent starting point as well as a handy guide for the order of titles within series. The organization is by publisher and general subject.

Kat Kan, while working for VOYA, also writes all of the reviews for Diamond Comics Distributor's Bookshelf section (http://bookshelf.diamondcomics.com/) devoted to libraries and librarians. The archives of reviews on Diamond's site (http://bookshelf.diamondcomics.com/reviews/) while not a core list per se, nonetheless highlights some of the best offerings of recent years.

Another site on hiatus but still useful is D. Aviva Rothschild's, The Comics Get Serious (http://www.rationalmagic.com/Comics/Comics.html). The site presently contains over 144 reviews organized by title, a list of titles for younger readers, and numerous creator interviews and articles. The reviews cover a range of age appropriateness and thus may be best for when the reader is more familiar with the format in general.

My own site features reviews divided into three major age range groupings:

Each of these sections has their own core list of titles intended as tools for selectors when beginning their collections, including

If you're considering diving into the extremely popular subformat for teens, Japanese print comics or manga, make one of your first stops Gilles Poitras' site, The Librarian's Guide to Anime and Manga (http://www.koyagi.com/Libguide.html) He clearly explains all, from the correct terms to recommended titles, and provides a great recommended list of manga titles (http://www.koyagi.com/recManga.html) with helpful cautions indicating the age-level and content.

My last, but certainly not least, librarian resource recommendation is to join the Graphic Novels in Libraries listserv (http://www.angelfire.com/comics/gnlib/) run by Steve Miller. When starting out in a new land, it’s great to have guides to answer your questions, and the GNLIB list is just the place for any librarian to ask away. Everyone on the list is a graphic novel enthusiast as well as connected to libraries, not to mention welcoming and quick to answer almost any question from general cataloging issues to opinions on specific titles. The archives (http://lists.topica.com/lists/gnlib-l/read) are a goldmine of information, and can be searched online even if you are not a member of the list. The best part of this list, however, is simply the community -- the support built through this list is unbeatable, especially if you are the lone librarian in your area breaking in to graphic novels.

Once you've gotten more used to the world of graphic novels, there are many industry resources that will also be invaluable to a discerning librarian. For adults, the online review site Artbomb (http://www.artbomb.net/home.jsp), led by one of the most famous current comic writers, Warren Ellis, gives witty and succinct reviews, with archives organized by subject. For manga and anime, check the report card section of Sequential Tart (http://www.sequentialtart.com/reports.php) -- each month titles are reviewed, usually by a number of different staff members, and each review includes all the necessary content information to help identify the age range.

I firmly believe and have witnessed that the same is true for graphic novels as is for books -- there is a graphic novel out there for every reader. I've helped many a dubious but curious reader find the graphic novel that suits their tastes and thus leads them to understand the appeal of the format, even if they don't become avid fans. This is vital to keep close to your heart as a selector and when faced with the task of persuading staff and patrons that graphic novels are a valid collection to build. With these tools to start with, building a comprehensive and quality graphic novel collection is no longer so daunting a task – so don’t fear! As you can see, the help is out there, and you don’t need anyone with a red cape to help you find it!

April - June 2004

More Than Words: Graphic Novels in Kentucky's Libraries

Graphic Novels: Where to Start?