Use & Users

By Emily Barney and Becky Haagsma

We believe the users are central to all aspects of planning this collection and, we hope, are reflected in every aspect of the final collection.

What would a collection be without use? The intended use is built into the grant, and we hope careful planning will make this collection fulfill Mr. Wigglesworth's wish and more:

I'm hoping that the youth of Gotham today will enjoy this wonderful storytelling style as much as I did. It's just as important to feed the imagination and see the world as it could be as it is to build our knowledge of the world as it is.

Our collection development plan says:

In order to start developing our collection, we looked for current and well-regarded resources for finding the most appropriate titles for this age group. We want to purchase content that is popular and age appropriate.

Our organization & access plan says:

Gearing the collection to teen patrons will require attention to issues of physical location/appearance of titles as well as the electronic accessibility of records. Organization and access issues take on an added layer of meaning when cultural literary differences and the wide development span of teens are thrown into the mix.

Dealing with Challenges

by Becky Haagsma

Dealing with challenges to graphic novels is similiar to dealing with any challenges in the library. However, graphic novels are at greater risk for challenges from patrons, simply because an image can be far more powerful than a written description.
It is best to be prepared for complaints.

Riot Police on the Diag 1972
uploaded by Jim Rees on Flickr - CC license

The National Coalition Against Censorship and the ALA have produced a guide that gives several suggestions for preparing for and responding to a challenge, including the following points to focus on when responding to a challenge:

"1. Libraries provide ideas and information across the spectrum of social and political views.
2. Libraries provide choice for all people.
3. Parents are responsible for supervising their own children’s library use.
4. Collection does not imply endorsement."

The guide also gives sample answers to questions patrons might have, including the following:

"Why do libraries have to buy graphic novels?
The library has a responsibility to serve its community—your neighbors—including those you may not agree with or who may not agree with you. Libraries purchase materials, such as graphic novels, because they have a mission statement that requires them to serve a broad range of community needs and wants. The material you find in your library was selected by ibrarians, who are taught as part of their professional education to determine the needs of their communities and to select materials based on library policies."

"Graphic novels: Suggestions for Librarians." The National Coalition Against Censorship, American Library Association, and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. 2006. 2 Dec. 2007 http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/ifissues/graphicnovels_1.pdf.

Other Resources:

"Graphic Novel Resources." from seminar "Graphic Novels, Manga, and Anime: What's New and Cool for Your Library," ALA's Annual Conference, June 2006. 2 Dec 2007. http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/GraphicNovelResources.pdf

"Coping with Challenges: Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials" ALA webpage. 2007. 2 Dec 2007. http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=dealing&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=77096

Kinsella, Bridget. "Libraries Developing Guidelines For Graphic Novels." Publishers Weekly 251.47 (2004) :12 , Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UIUC Library. 2 Dec. 2007.

"Marshall Keeps Graphic Novels." American Libraries 38.5 (2007): 29. Academic Search Premier. EBSCOhost. UIUC Library. 2 Dec. 2007.