Critical Librarianship and Comics

This is tomorrow, #critlib folks!  https://twitter.com/ohelmiller/status/932672243548729344 …

TONIGHT! #critlib chat on #comics in libraries, 6pm Pacific/9pm Eastern, moderated by @ohelmiller & @stephliana. All library/archives workers & LIS students welcome!  http://critlib.org/critical-librarianship-and-comics/ … #graphicmedicine

@OPWhisperer this is happening at 2 am in our timezone but you may wish to look at the #critlib hashtag after the chat.  https://twitter.com/violetbfox/status/935563231036362757 …

We're about 45 minutes out from tonight's #critlib chat on comics and libraries! Preview our questions (plus comics terminology and readings) here:  http://critlib.org/critical-librarianship-and-comics/ …

30 minutes! Prepare yourselves, #critlib.  https://twitter.com/stephliana/status/935679431233949696 …

Welcome to the #critlib and comics chat! I’m Olivia, art & humanities librarian in MA and one of your moderators tonight. Please introduce yourselves.  https://media1.tenor.com/images/8aaf0058c4a0377fde8d02587a6be370/tenor.gif?itemid=4440541 …

Hi #critlib folks! I'm Andrew, Kress Fellow in Art Librarianship. Super excited for this chat ~

Evening, folks! I'm Stephanie, an art librarian in NoVA and fellow moderator with @ohelmiller for tonight's #critlib chat. Let's talk about comics!

BTW, you can tweet anonymously by using this form:  https://script.google.com/macros/s/AKfycbwyWyihbid8kFgyc1Pu5_BTBFGZt9Ij75bA9WPjPaMu1jCgtNmQ/exec … #critlib #comics

Good evening #critlib ! I'm an academic librarian in NYC and excited to learn about comics tonight.

hi #critlib i'm michelle, and i'm a lis student/ support staff/clerk in an academic library. and i recently fell in love with comics!

Hi everyone. I’m Dave, Comics Librarian and Video Game Archivist at U-M. Always happy to talk comics with librarians! #critlib

#critlib #comics Hello I am Kelly at MICA in Baltimore (art and design school) (resource description librarian and zine librarian)

Q1. How have you used (or seen comics used) in library practice? How would you like to see comics used in libraries? #critlib

A1. At my FPOW I taught a 2 credit hour course on how to read comics using them as a springboard to info and visual literacy. #critlib

A1. I also have advocated for their inclusion in the library to be there for recreational reading and for art students. #critlib

A1. I’d love to advocate for them more for non-art and English courses, but I haven’t had the chance to “sell” them to those faculty. I haven’t brought comics into a library instruction session yet and that also seems fun. #critlib

#critlib #comics A1 I wish it could be used more for social issues and social themes - comparing from different decades. I use zine-comics many are in regards to social issues and made by students. Or the comics are used for illustration practice inspiration

Q1: Former job: I worked pretty closely with our comics students (art school w/comics studies program), which meant getting to talk about and use comics as research sources. Also, @A_meeksie and I developed a workshop on stereotype + viz lit for comm arts students #critlib

Hi #critlib I'm Tessa, Instruction Library at Spalding University. We just got a big comics donation/collection at our lib!

Hi #critlib! I’m joining late. Academic librarian in NYC.

A1: i would like to see more displays of comics for teens with narratives about figuring out one's gender identity / sexual orientation. also comix about racism in america. displays + MAKE UR OWN COMIC CLASS!! you don't have to be a rly skilled artist to make comics #critlib

@k_swickard Yes, this is so important! Comics can be fantastic primary sources for this, and I'm curious if/how it's happening elsewhere #critlib

A1 been using comics with a summer bridge program to introduce students to the foundation of research, asking question. #critlib

@nfoasberg I did a poster at ARLIS 2017 about it, but I’m happy to chat more. #critlib  https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1NwGaeP8SYaauowJxSNgAdmjXWNcziPNJIAqLBrBZUaQ/edit?usp=sharing …

@lvanden1 Ahh I was hunting for this after you talked about it and couldn’t find it. Thanks for sharing! #critlib

Joining a little late, but glad @stephliana mentioned our workshop and pinged me or I would've forgotten! Amanda, librarian for many creative depts in northern Arizona! #critlib

A1. The comics collection at U-M began to support the art school, but has grown over the years as comics have become more widely used in classes throughout the univ. #critlib 1/?

@chelleinthelib Do you find that non-art/comics students are reluctant to make comics because they aren't a "skilled artist"? How do others make these kinds of workshops failure-friendly or encourage experimentation with the form? #critlib

A1 we just got our collection but we have a great art school so im hoping to get inspired by yall #critlib

@stephliana @chelleinthelib I definitely saw this hesitation in my for-credit course, but only in the class that had an art student! #critlib

Q2: What programming ideas or experiences do you have that examine comics through a critical lens? That use comics AS a critical lens? #critlib

@davereadscomics Did you have any say in that or did it just happen organically? #critlib

A1 I think there’s a lot of potential for instruction w/comics in non-art classes. Close reading, asking questions, how to move beyond the source in front of you & make connections w/other sources & ideas #critlib

@ohelmiller @stephliana @chelleinthelib So the presence of an art student made the other students more self-conscious about their art? #critlib

@chelleinthelib And to follow up on that, how do you connect these workshops to the library and your roles in your institutions? #critlib

These days probably the largest use is in the foreign language department, with 200-level classes in German, French & Italian based solely around comics; so I get to go and teach some basic comics theory in language classes (none of which I speak or read!) #critlib 2/?

A1: as a former art teacher I used comix to talk about personal issues (students made them), I did some community comix events at @TheChibrary, too! I AM currently trying to collect comics, graphic novels, etc in other languages to support our global languages program #critlib

@nfoasberg @stephliana @chelleinthelib It appeared that way! The other class had no art students and they didn’t bat an eye at being asked to draw on the fly. #critlib

I don't know the answer to this, but it makes me think of an interview I heard on a podcast long ago with Lynda Barry about teaching people to draw comics. She asked them to draw monsters, because we all feel like we know how to do that! #critlib  https://twitter.com/stephliana/status/935694785087721472 …

A2. Pie in the Sky Idea: bring a comics creator into the library for a talk about their book. Ideally this creator would be from a marginalized group. #critlib

Q2 cont: This dovetails pretty well with the previous question, so feel free to blend! #critlib

@ohelmiller Very organic, though I certainly supported courses by altering/broadening the types of comics I purchas for the collection. #critlib

@s_k_l_w I totally agree. Have you done instruction with comics in one-shots outside of the summer bridge program? #critlib

@davereadscomics That's pretty awesome! I love the idea of using a more visual medium to teach languages. #critlib

@nfoasberg Lynda Barry is a goddess. #critlib

I also recently took over purchasing comics for the main recreational reading collection, and have been expanding those offerings as well. #critlib 3/3

A2. In the past I’ve included titles like March and Fun Home as a part of displays with non-comic titles. #critlib

@ohelmiller Not yet but I’d like to. I’ve got secret plans to bring this type of work to public high schools in nyc. Not so secret now but ... #critlib

@nfoasberg Lynda Barry is a fantastic example. And I have a similar experience -- in one workshop demo, we had a group of librarians draw "superheros" exquisite corpses -- some of them went pretty monstrous, but the participants got into it pretty quickly. #critlib

@davereadscomics That's amazing! I'd love to see some lesson plans for this! #critlib

#critlib A2 I do the zine collection so for me comics and zines are a very thinly separation - there are many overlaps - I want to do more with comics and often order them like the new Wonder Woman ones especially when our alum are doing the illustration or coloring

A2 one of our goals wrt the summer bridge comics curriculum was to move away from “white dudes in capes” comics so we had a rigorous selection process for our materials #critlib

A2 I see so much potential in using comics to illustrate how world events and collective public memories morph through visualized personal narrative #critlib

This is a good goal for anyone into #critlib and comics.  https://twitter.com/s_k_l_w/status/935696884051652608 …

@ohelmiller Yes! And this might be pretty manageable, depending on your location and especially if you're near a regular convention/expo site. #critlib

Joining #critlib late again! I’m a librarian for a German cultural center

@stephliana I think $$$ is the big thing :-/ #critlib

Time is flying by! Q3. How do cataloging and/or shelving practices in your library affect the perception or discovery of comics? #critlib

A2: We just wrapped up a massive comics exhibit at Mason and brought in seven speakers, including six comics artists and a comics shop owner. Got them into studio and class visits, but also talking about their work for general audiences and in the library #critlib

@ohelmiller @stephliana I wonder if this might make a good local author-type event! #critlib

Our graphic novel collection a reflection of current comic making from Germany, but also aimed at students learning German #critlib

@stephliana I know this was a big deal. I bet it was amazing! #critlib

A3 maddeningly ours are cataloged and shelves with our juvenile collection which is sort of hidden. Dream is to pull them out to a featured location and promote the heck out of it. #critlib

@ohelmiller It's a BIG thing, and I'm adamant that we pay artists if we bring them in. In the case of our exhibition, it meant talking to many many people and getting various acad departments to help fund speakers - helped if we could connect and artist to a course topic! #critlib

A3: They make the graphic novels nearly impossible to find because our stacks are not as visible as in other libraries; I proposed a zine collection that will include comix and I advocated that we put that in the MakerLab, so that's progress in terms of visibility. #critlib

@stephliana Whew! I know I could benefit from a primer on talking to academic departments to get funding! #critlib

A3. Really interested in hearing from folks about cataloging/shelving choices in comics--so many options, none perfect. #critlib

A3. Whew, I have some feelings on this. At my FPOW we had them as a separate collection to really hit home to students that our library didn’t just have academic books to read for coursework…. #critlib 1/4

A3 Cataloging is a whole other issue I can't even touch... #critlib

A3. But does this send a message that comics can’t be academic? #critlib 2/4

A3. At my current POW, comics are distributed according to LC call number. If someone wants to only see comics they have to search in the catalog for the right combo of words. Usually “comics” does it. #critlib 3/4

A3. Isn’t it magical to imagine someone browsing the E’s for Civil Rights Movement titles and stumbling across March? Or HQ’s and find Tomboy? #critlib 4/4

@ohelmiller In this case, we had courses offered on Representations of Black Women, art for social change, and sexuality in history (among others) and were able to make connections between the comics/speakers and those courses #critlib

#critlib A3 our current comics and graphic novels are part of the regular circulating collection in the PNs mostly we use LC - some are in their subject areas if they are nonfiction but I try not to do that as we are a heavy browsing library

@s_k_l_w 👎 I have lots of feelings about comics being in juvenile collections. #critlib

A3 I'm troubled by comics being banished to leisure reading collections in academic libraries. Working on an abstract for the upcoming book @stephliana @ohelmiller #critlib

@ohelmiller And a big shout-out here to @InterferenceArc and the intrepid curators of #ourcomicsourselves, Jan Descartes and Monica Johnson! #critlib

@s_k_l_w Juvenile collection seems like an odd choice. Are they juvenile comics in particular? Or is this just a "comics are kid stuff" thing? #critlib

A3. (my answer is a question) how do catalogers separate teen vs. adult comics? i usually don't understand how these distinctions are made with comics/ graphic novels. #critlib

Intellectually, it makes the most sense to put them where there is also stuff to make them. That's from my time working and volunteering at @TheChibrary and SCAD. Inspiration for creativity. #critlib

@A_meeksie Interesting! Are there specific ways that zine and comix creation relates to what's in your MakerLab? #critlib

#critlib A3 zines are noncirculating & not given a call number - those are located on shelves right as you walk in the library. We have some old comics (1990s) which were deaccessioned long before me. We just have them out to be browsed (not check out, not in catalog)

@ohelmiller Some of ours are interfiled this way, mainly the graphic novels w/historical content. I like that aspect of it but complicates discovery in other ways #critlib

@aandrewwangg @stephliana I can't wait to read it! #critlib

@chelleinthelib Catalogers rarely have the leisure to read the items they're cataloging, so they often have to go with what the publisher indicates (or what that publisher usually publishes). #critlib

@stephliana All of these courses sound dreamy #critlib

A2. We’ve done everything from 24-hour and minicomics days (started by @stephliana & cohort) to the A2inkubate pre-conference to the A2CAF, to participating in this month’s university-wide symposium around March #critlib

@ohelmiller Yes, I pushed pretty hard to get our makerlab to include independent publishing tools and materials because it was VERY tech-focused when I arrived. Making is not just high end, expensive, and often inaccessible technology. #critlib

@A_meeksie @TheChibrary That's a great point. I can only imagine how I would react to that as a library patron. #critlib

@k_swickard A3: I wonder if there are distinct differences in the browsing patterns for comics readers btw liberal arts/research unis and art & design schools... #critlib

@nfoasberg The latter, from what I understand. I dislike it immensely esp since we’re working to connect comics to academic work otherwise #critlib

@lissertations I was just reading that today, thanks for sharing! Since it's two years+ old, I wanted to ask @edwardshaddow if and/or how well it's been maintained. #critlib

@s_k_l_w Yeah, that's a really unfortunate choice :/ #critlib

@k_swickard Having been at both, I have a better idea of how they were used at the art & design school, because they were highly visible. At new workplace, they're somewhat hidden on an upper floor of the library #critlib

It's like an unproductive reversal of the Comics Code Authority/censorship #critlib #smh  https://twitter.com/nfoasberg/status/935698959066173440 …

@violetbfox @chelleinthelib This is so problematic to me. I wonder if it would be possible for subject liaisons to give catalogers metadata suggestions? This is me not knowing about cataloging practices #critlib

A3 since this was a new collection i was v excited to help catalog and label. Organizing & discovering comics is HARD. Do you org by main artist/creator or title? What do ppl look for first? 1/× #critlib

@stephliana @k_swickard That sounds like a fun research project! #critlib

#critlib A3: we still catalogue comics in the PNs but we shelve them on the first floor in a big display to make them really findable. I think we have a subject heading too to group them together

@ohelmiller @chelleinthelib It just depends on how friendly your catalogers are! If they're not total jerks, they'll be happy to hear your feedback and/or explain options. #critlib

Q4. Given institutional norms and pushes for "highbrow" or literary work: how can we keep comic collections weird? #critlib

@ohelmiller @violetbfox @chelleinthelib It is problematic but I think that it’s worth a conversation about prioritizing the more specialized cataloging of things like this. It all depends on how you want the collections used #critlib

I've organized comic collections at 2 small libraries. In the first I separated trade pbk comics from "graphic novels," comics went by series, gns went by author/creator 2/× #critlib

@emmalawson Have you noticed them getting attention because of this? #critlib

A4. As someone who has collection development duties, keep buying weird stuff! Honor a variety of voices and especially those from small and independent presses. #critlib

A4: I make sure we have Jack Kirby on the shelf, for a good start. But now, buying comics from students, at local fairs, finding things that actually have FUN and explore the joy and potential of the comics medium #critlib

A3 I’ve worked extensively with our catalogers on developing local classification standards to ensure that, as much as possible, the comics collection is browsable and findable. We are just now wrapping up a major reclassification project of older comics to the new rules #critlib

In my new library a large portion of the donation was marvel/dc, sometimes very obscure or convuluted series and subseries, some mags, some gns, really mixed 3/x #critlib

A4 I think there’s merit in “weird” collections in academe and we can be the champions of them. If it engages students, if it can spark questions and curiosity then why not? #critlib

@tessawithorn Interesting! I personally make a distinction between TPB's and "graphic novels" but I haven't seen folks in libraries talk about it. #critlib

A4. I love this question! I'd put forward similar answers to acquiring anything "non-standard" like, e.g., zines: building good relations btwn public/tech services, advocating for value of non-traditional publications, flexibility in acquisitions. #critlib

Also, Squirrel Girl and Ms. Marvel and the Miles Morales Ultimate Spiderman series. #critlib

#critlib A4: our main selection criteria is GNs or trades. We have a variety of capes, award winners, local stuff -- basically whatever seems cool. Cape comics are more Ms. Marvel than X-Men, usually

@davereadscomics I’d love to know what the new rules are. A few of us are keen on doing this at mpow but we need guidance. #critlib

This is literally the point of a library, at least to me. #critlib  https://twitter.com/s_k_l_w/status/935701218801934338 …

@davereadscomics What did that entail? Are they shelved together? Standardizing keywords? And/or?? #critlib

A4 Most contemporary comics I've seen outside of the mainstream are pretty weird, so just keep collecting those. Often times the purchasing systems are set up for small, indie sellers, but keep persisting and asking for those anyways. #critlib

A4 There's so much ~academic~ literature on comics now that it's frustrating there's still this push back against comics as "low" art. Maybe showcasing that secondary literature in instruction could help "validate" comic collections? #critlib

So our labels ended up as something like this: COMIC XMEN Esse v.3 This keeps all X-men together, 2nd line is for subseries, 3rd for volume. If there was no subseries, the 1st 4 letters of the individual title. 4/× #critlib

I think this is really important, not just for showing that popular culture has a place in academia but also showing what kinds of work secondary literature can do! #critlib  https://twitter.com/aandrewwangg/status/935701682218045441 …

It seemed to work well for our exsiting collection. We have a lot of freedom to do what we want, which is nice. Now to fill in the volumes we didn't get in the donation to fill some gaps 5/5 #critlib

@s_k_l_w Agreed. I’m a firm believer in the “if you build it, they will come” approach to collections. The students/faculty/staff have found uses for our comics collection and game archive that we never considered when 1st developing those collections #critlib

Jumping back to A3: have y'all been following the mess with C.B. Cebulski / "Akira Yoshida"? Catalogers and metadata specialists, what's an appropriate response to authority records when an author invented a pseudonym and alter ego that is, um, a little problematic? #critlib

#critlib A4 it is different for me all our stuff is weird haha - luckily since our students are hired to do comics and graphic novels - ordering them is not an issue. Additionally, one of our faculty is a colorist for Marvel. Our Alum creator Lumber Janes.

@aandrewwangg I'm reading "Arresting Development: Comics at the Boundaries of Literature" and the intro talks about this like, why is there still pushback? Haven't we gone over this? #critlib

@aandrewwangg This is exactly what we do w/the curriculum we developed. The last session pulls in an academic article about comics and race, or comics & gender, and we take the students through a close read of that too #critlib

RE:  https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/11/28/marvel-eic-c-b-cebulski-akira-yoshida/ … How can we reflect this in our records of any materials created by Cebulski as "Yoshida"? #critlib

A4. Also, re: keeping collections weird: being open to self-published works and encouraging creators to see your library as a resource/ally/place to find stuff beyond DC/Marvel. #critlib

@k_swickard <3 Lumberjanes #critlib

Okay last question (it's fun!): Q5. Comic suggestions for the new-to-comics-critical-librarian? #critlib #critlib

A4: my way to keep a comic collection weird would be to buy zines, but those usually don't circulate. so that's now a good answer. so i'd say go to not mainstream publishers? i'm sick of dude superheroes in capes. always have been, always will be... #critlib

@ohelmiller Right! Comics have a particularly tough time in art libraries. That architecture/painting/sculpture elitism persists #critlib

@violetbfox Yes to encouraging creators to see the library as a resource! See this by @CBLDF  http://cbldf.org/librarian-tools/working-with-libraries-a-handbook-for-comics-creators/ … #critlib

A4. Purchase comics that aren't available through library distributors. #critlib (e.g. figure out how to buy from creators at events, on Kickstarter, etc.)

A4 mini-comics (hi again, @stephliana !), collections of Webcomics, local artists, comics from other countries and cultures. Go outside of Previews and your regular book vendor. #critlib 1/?

@stephliana I hadn't heard anything about this, I'll have to look into it! As for NACO/authority record standards: the author is the ultimate authority, there wouldn't be any judgment on their preferred name. #critlib

A2 but we did this externally at SVA because it is hard to build an audience doing one graphic novel event a year #critlib

A5. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. Don’t forget your dictionary. #critlib

@stephliana Also, accept donations. I’ve been amazed at the sort of things that have come our way from people’s personal collections #critlib 2/2

We shelve mostly in 741.5, but a few of our school libraries have switched to grouping together in a Fiction--Graphic Novels section. Nonfiction and biographical comics go in those collections however. We make sure each gets the genre heading Graphic novels. #critlib  https://twitter.com/violetbfox/status/935698345514979329 …

@MidniteLibrary A4 oh man, I want libraries to be SO much better about being able to fund/buy comics through Kickstarter. Our systems are so byzantine that it makes it sometimes impossible to be collecting these things, though. :( #critlib

A5. Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud. It will help you understand the ways in which stories are told through comics and give you some understanding of their history. It's a comic about comics! #critlib

A5. Lumberjanes by Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Brooke A. Allen and Noelle Stevenson. Let’s go back in time and give this to our kid-selves. #critlib

A5. March Trilogy by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, & Nate Powell. Required reading for all. #critlib

A3 our graphic novels used to be shelved with art books that you had to stoop down to reach and were poorly lit #critlib

A5. Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson and lots of artists. The hero we all need right now. #critlib

A5. Mania, Depression, Michelangelo and Me by Ellen Forney. Lots of mental health feels here! #critlib

A5. Tomboy by Liz Prince. Gender is a social construct, ya’ll! #critlib

@ohelmiller When I was in grad school I managed to get our entire cohort to read this book and we all raved. I love her. #critlib

@s_k_l_w I think identifying their interdisciplinary value is a great tactic. Wish we could appreciate comics for their aesthetic qualities the way we appreciate other art forms but I understand having to speak the academy's language #critlib

A5. Syllabus by our queen Lynda Barry! #critlib

@ohelmiller Seriously. I gifted it to my tween niece and my own kids will get them when they’re a little older. So good. #critlib

@davereadscomics @stephliana Do you promote the fact that people can donate? #critlib

@MidniteLibrary A4. This is tough for many libraries who might require SSN from creators they buy from, but often can be worked around via distros/local buyers. Important for acquisitions folks to think flexibly whenever possible! #critlib

I second this one with all my comic-loving heart! #critlib  https://twitter.com/MidniteLibrary/status/935703901008904197 …

A5. Do webcomics count and is it okay to recommend my fave Dumbing of Age? It's about college students with complicated lives #critlib

Q4 1.Encourage students who want to write theses on comics!! Esp in ungrad. I did and got push back from the english department 2. Support local artists, independent presses, and intentionally collect works by queer folx and artists of color #critlib

@A_meeksie She was in Vermont last month with some other big name comics folks and I chickened out of going partially because I didn't think I could say anything to her other than ljaelrjalrjelrjalkrjalj #critlib

@aandrewwangg I think there’s room for both ways of seeing comics. You can’t talk about them without discussion of the visual, but making explicit the other connections helps ppl who may need extra convincing imo #critlib

@aandrewwangg @s_k_l_w 90% of the time, I'm reading the comic because of aesthetics. #critlib

A5: Emily Carroll's webcomics. Linda Medley's "Castle Waiting." The quarterly "Frontier" series published by @YouthinDecline #critlib

@ashuping Oh totally, it can be a pain in the neck for libraries and creators alike. I think libs are finding more ways around barriers, though! #critlib

A5 so excited i forgot the hashtag the first time. BITCH PLANET!!! #critlib

This has been a great conversation and has given me more to think about! Thank you @stephliana and @ohelmiller for moderating! So excited to see you both soon! #critlib

Thanks to everyone participating right now! Would someone be willing to create a Storify for tonight's chat? #critlib

Now they are next to our language books & have more visibility & are checked out by people who aren’t necessarily looking for them #critlib

@nfoasberg Totally! You might also like Giant Days by John Allison, Whitney Cogar, & Lissa Treiman. It's on the silly side but still woke and entertaining. #critlib

This has been great. Thanks to the mods and all the great ideas/comments/recommendations #critlib

I'd recommend following @librnwithissues for great comics & library commentary, as well as @NoetheMatt & @GraphicMedicine for lots of health related comic reading! #critlib

@s_k_l_w Absolutely agree! And social/cultural context definitely contributes to aesthetic experience. #critlib

Ack! Where did time go? So many beautiful ideas floating around. Consider submitting a chapter proposal to the book @stephliana and I are co-editing about #critlib and comics in academic libraries!  http://libraryjuicepress.com/blog/?p=5625  #critlib

@ohelmiller IMHO, Fun Home is the defining comics work of the 21st century. There is so much going on in that comic on just a craft and storytelling level alone, and that’s supporting a fascinating story. #critlib

@WalterSchlect That's awesome! #critlib

That moment you realize you've missed comics #critlib because you were traveling home from guest lecturing on graphic medicine... SO MANY EMOTIONS! I promise to catch up in the morning!

Like @ohelmiller said: now that you've got all of these wonderful ideas in mind, consider submitting a chapter proposal to the book we're co-editing about #critlib and comics in academic libraries!  http://libraryjuicepress.com/blog/?p=5625 

A4 collect comics from other languages and other countries. Make it a world dialogue. #critlib

Since 2011, I also teach a regular spring course on comics reader's advisory for #iSchoolUI - fills every single time! #critlib

Seriously, y’all. #critlib  https://media1.tenor.com/images/9787bdf3993c9a20dffe6556e244bc4d/tenor.gif?itemid=4451524 …

A3. A bit late, but I want to give an example of how not to catalogue comics. The writer is not necessarily the main access point. I've seen collections such as "Batman Illustrated by Neal Adams" catalogued under the writer of the first issue collected. #critlib

And definitely follow @ComicsCrusader and consider presenting at 1st Conference of the Comics Studies Society!  http://www.comicssociety.org/conference/  #critlib

missed what looks like a really great #critlib - again - bc it's my bday and I was out for Indian food and indulgent target shopping!

@violetbfox @ComicsCrusader I’ve been meaning to talk to you about the CSS conference, @stephliana! Any librarians proposing something for it? #critlib

Me miss comics #critlib?! No! Q5: Scott Pilgrim, Watchmen, and Maus are my library's top circulations. No budget for lengthy manga!

@MidniteLibrary @nfoasberg It’s 7 volumes in and I’m shocked at how good it still is! I should check out his other title. #critlib

A5 I'll say it again with the #critlib tag Wuvable Oaf! Which made @LambdaLiterary so hopefully got picked up by more libs

A5. So so many to list, but here are a few that have generated interesting discussions in our Graphic Narrative Discussion Group: #critlib 1/?

A little late to #critlib tonight but long time lover of "weird" comics and am thinking about using comics in instruction/digital learning

One quick note: I'm president-elect of @cssorg and as an LIS facultyn I take that as a positive sign for the future of comics & libraries #critlib

"Drama" by Raina Telgemeier; "Building Stories" by Chris Ware; "Boxers and Saints" by Gene Luen Yang; "The Property" by Rutu Modan; "Here" by Richard McGuire; "The Walking Man" by Jiro Taniguchi; "Awkward and Definition" by Ariel Schrag #critlib 3/3

@MidniteLibrary Yeah, this isn't uncommon, I wish catalogers would think outside the rules more frequently when it comes to stuff like that. Unfamiliarity with comics standards + publisher complexity + rigidity = suboptimal cataloging. #critlib

@davereadscomics Here by Richard McGuire is outstanding! "Boxers and Saints" by Gene Luen Yang is also cool. #critlib

Q5 read the "funnies" as a kid, was not a fan of superhero comics, I have a million recs but Persepolis/Marjane Sateapi was my gateway & a good place to start. followed by memoirs/journalism/travel works #critlib

A5 Please buy Madgermanes by Birgit Weyhe and convince a US publisher to translate it🙏 #critlib

They can even apply for a translation grant from us  https://www.goethe.de/ins/us/en/m/kul/ser/uef.html … #critlib

Q5 for nonfiction some of my faves are Joe Sacco's journalism work, Guy DeLisle's travel writing around Asia & Israel, David B.'s Epileptic, memoir work from Julia Wertz, Nicole J. Georges (currently reading Fetch, so great) #critlib

Q5 Also: I'm a little out of my webcomics loop, but it's a medium that's ripe with beautifully-told (and beautifully-drawn) stories. #critlib

Q5 Sandman, Papergirls, Saga, opened my mind to reading more fiction comics. highly recommend. #critlib

A5 also My favorite thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris is my fav graphic novel this year, with fabulous queer child detective #critlib

#critlib I created a search limit for our graphic novels (among other things) in our search box drop down menu, helps people directly narrow their search.

One more #critlib comics recommendation: @IndigenousCon & @Indigenerdity often feature Native-made comics. And check out these recommendations:  http://www.comicsbeat.com/four-native-and-indigenous-creators-and-comics-you-should-know/ …

Q5 also Osamu Tezuka's Buddha series is gold. I have 1000 other comic book recs but I'll leave it there. Oh and Mimi Pond and Kate Beacon! and so many other lesser known artists. could go on forever but who wants that, goodnight! #critlib

comics discussion on #critlib intersecting with my own recent falling back in love with comics. so cute.

Also, #critlib folks, y'all might be interested in this:  https://twitter.com/neekaneeks/status/935312439888850944 …

@WalterSchlect Yes! Wish I could extra super star this! And if anyone in the #critlib Twitterverse wants to start buying South Asian comics and needs pointers hit me up!

Checking out the #critlib chat from earlier this evening (I was on-desk) & I have a few thoughts on #comics in #libraries.

BTW I'm Gina. I work in a public library & have an academic library background. I read #comics & #graphicnovels for fun. #critlib

A1. #Comics in libraries can be used as examples for programs centered on drawing, for reader's advisory ("If you enjoyed this, here are books/movies on the same topic"). #critlib

A1.2 #Comics can also be read for age-appropriate book clubs & used to foster discussion on topics such as the Holocaust, gender expression, #socialjustice, civil rights & more. #critlib

A3. At my library, #comics are shelved in 3 different areas: juvenile, YA & adult, based on subject matter. This hinders discovery. #critlib

A3.2 Bulk of #comics are in YA...on another floor. I've told patrons "There's more in YA. Let me show you." Otherwise they wouldn't know. #critlib

A3.3 Most #comics & #graphicnovels are shelved in YA, but adult patrons also browse these shelves (myself included). #critlib

A3.4 And if a teen or middle schooler wants to check out Fun Home (shelved in adult #comics), I'm not going to stop them. #critlib

A4. Keep #comics collections weird by looking beyond superhero stories. Follow small presses & attend #zine fests, where you'll also find alt comics & their publishers/creators. #critlib

A4.2 And go to indie bookstores & browse "Graphic Novels," "New Releases." If there's a local #comics shop, go there to keep up with what's new/different. #critlib

A5. Too many! (H)afrocentric (& its inspiration, The Boondocks). Your Black Friend. Kindred: A #GraphicNovel Adaptation. Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Biography. This One Summer. Pregnant Butch. #comics #critlib  https://twitter.com/ohelmiller/status/935702882447515649 …

missed the #critlib about #comics because I was sleeping :(

Unfortunately I missed #critlib chat last night even though I set a reminder for it... Reading the threads now!

ARGH!!! How the Tuonela did I miss last night's chat?!? Of all topics!! COMICS! #critlib

Thank you for pulling this together! #critlib

Thread answering all of last night's #critlib questions:

A1: I use comics to teach empathy, reflection, and issues of health literacy to medical students. We also lend "book club kits", a ready made health programming tool. #GraphicMedicine

A1.5: I also spend a great deal of time advocating for the creation of comic collections in #medlibs of all kinds. It's an entire medium we often ignore.

This is a use I see often in @historycomics classes (public school level). Using comics as a sociocultural artifact is a fascinating area. #critlib  https://twitter.com/k_swickard/status/935693584900161543 …

@stephliana @chelleinthelib Our medical students are often at a loss at first, but we spend the week doing related activities - drawing with crayons (forgiving), studying shape and comp with construction paper - and other med student examples help shed the fear. #critlib

A2: We discuss the role of (health) literacy for an entire day, using comics as an example of bridging educational/cultural gaps. Hoping to find more voices in #GraphicMedicine to make use of in the future. #critlib

A2.5: Our collection is entirely focused on medical comics, but I have made a point to include titles like March because they speak to life that impacts medical care even if it isn't *strictly* medical. #critlib

A3: We have separated #GraphicMedicine from the rest of the collection, giving it its own space in the library and collection within the catalog. Academic medical print collections aren't "browsed" much now, so this is vital to visibility here. #critlib

A3.5: I strongly argue for separating comics out as their own medium the way we do DVDs/Games/etc, but it does at times make it harder to engage the folks weary of comics (quite common in a #meded setting). #critlib

#critlib #comics this comic Deliver by a Baltimore artist Mike Riley, is so fun. UPS driver trying to deliver a package in Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delight. His stickers are so great too:  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/riley23/deliver-a-comic-adventure-through-boschs-garden …

A4: I do my best to find ways to get small print/indie/organizational #GraphicMedicine titles into our collection however possible. Keeping an eye on who is doing what in the field BEYOND traditional publisher marketing is vital. #critlib

A4.5: Given the relative rarity of comics in medical schools right now, I think it is even more important to gather as much as possible and make the collection ILL'able. Argument that it is a unique collection tends to help. #critlib

A5.5: On the more comic studies side, Syllabus by Lynda Barry is required reading. Understanding Comics and 99 Ways to Tell a Story are also important (particularly if you are quite new to the medium). #critlib

A5.PS: To me though, the best thing to do if you are new to comics is to find ones in a genre/subject you already enjoy and just dive right in. Comics, even when read for academic purposes, are just damn fun to read. #critlib