Monday, April 16, 2007
Graphic novels, Embracing
Every library has at least one librarian who is a graphic novel enthusiast. This person will argue vehemently for a new graphic novel collection for your library. Give him a paltry budget to spend each year just to shut him up. It will be money well spent.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
12 comments:
We shut him up (for the time being, at least) by cataloging his master's thesis on the topic -- or on something closely related ... nobody's read it, of course. Does that count?
I bought a butt-load of graphic novels - all ages, types, etc - for YA, and they never go out. Ever. Odd.
Hey - I resemble that remaark!
Of course, in my library, the patrons read the collection to rags, make helpful suggestions / purchase requests, and generally worship me and me collection development partner as if we were library gods. Which we are.
But we're probably the exception that proves the rule. ;)
I used to work for someone like that. Needless to say, everyone else felt that graphic novels were a waste of money. I just thought they were crap.
"Do graphic novels depict graphic sex?" and
"Do all sociology books deal with socialism?"
Questions at the reference desk.
"Why are you spending taxpayers' money on adult book collections? Isn't there enough pornography in this world?"
sigh...
My daughter loves them and checks them out by the bag-full. They're tattered, torn, well-read and well-loved. Many aren't great literature, but how much of the mystery and romance collections are great literature? There are some real gems in graphic novels - try reading something by Osamu Tezuka or Jeff Smith.
Yes, it's best not to lump LOST GIRLS in with the usual comic book haul. It definitely puts the graphic in graphic novel and gives public onanists and save-the-children types a little too much, um, ammunition.
Great book, though, and I'm glad we bought it -- just don't ask me which department's money I bought it with.
Seven out of ten graphic novels may be shite, but a healthy handful should be respected as culturally significant works--vehicles for sorting through and interpreting and dealing with history and identity. Every library should carry the Maus series by Art Spiegelman, the Persepolis series by Marjane Satrapi, and (I think) Clumsy by Jeffrey Brown (even if this last is mainly about sex and relationships). Quality graphic novels touch on difficult subjects in ways that some written works cannot.
Marvel comics, on the other hand...
Nilly said...
Seven out of ten graphic novels may be shite, but a healthy handful should be respected as culturally
yes, as opposed to 9 out of 10 popular fiction titles that are unreadable garbage
Sometimes graphic novels are the best way to get non-readers kick-started, you cynical a-holes.
I agree with the anonymous above me. I'd rather gouge my eyes out than try to read a graphic novel, but you know what...they're *gasp* NOT TARGETED TOWARDS ME. We have a VERY healthy collection of graphic novels and the YA circulation statistics have skyrocketed. Between them and Harry Potter and Kenneth Oppel...
Post a Comment