This summer, as part of my Library and Information Science Masters degree, I took a course on graphic novels in the library. Mostly I took it because I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be assigned graphic novels as course work.
The discussion usually centred around why graphic novels are a good literacy tool (the answer: kids who read comics and graphic novels get to understand the interaction of words and pictures at an earlier age and, as a side effect, come to love reading).
So when I saw that Maryland’s Small Press Expo is launching a graphic novel gift program for libraries, it struck a chord.
Under their new program, each year SPX will gift a collection of graphic novels to a library in the Washington, D.C. area, and this year they’ve chosen the Montgomery County Public Libraries. After the SPX Executive Committee selects the library system, they give the library’s graphic novel buyer a budget to purchase graphic novels from a selected list of publishers. The list is made up of past exhibitors at SPX.
According to SPX’s website, the goals of the program are to: “Expand the reach of graphic novels to readers of all ages utilizing public and school libraries; promote learning and literacy through the availability of graphic novels at local libraries [and] provide library systems with additional resources by which they can purchase graphic novels and comics.” In its inaugural year, the Montgomery County Public Libraries are reported to be receiving a collection of 230 books through this program. The book plate (pictured above) is by illustrator Lilli Carre and will appear inside each of the books.
In other graphic novel/library news, a group of graphic novel lovers saved the Schulz Library in Vermont from Hurricane Irene. For the full touching tale, read Jen Vaughn’s story at The Beat.