Librarians Assemble: Identifying, Acquiring and Promoting a New Graphic Novel Collection

Graphic novels are a growing literary form with a growing audience. This presentation will describe how two academic librarians, one from Technical Services and the other from Public Services, combined forces to combat a common enemy: a measly collection of graphic novels that no one could find nor wanted to check out. With support from library Administration and on campus partners, our graphic novel collection went from several dozen items scattered throughout the building to almost 190 volumes in one central location. Presenters will provide best practices and lessons learned, including how to recognize the difference between graphic novels and comics (books and strips), how to acquire and describe these materials, and how to collaborate and form partnerships to promote the collection. Thanks to a 2017 grant awarded by the Freedom to Read Foundation, our library is promoting graphic novel literacy to a broad community during Banned Books Week and beyond. Attendees will participate in a learning activity during the session, and will be given examples of "Must Have" graphic novels for their collection.

Presentation for the 2018 Florida Library Association Annual Conference Thursday, May 24, 2018 1:30-2:30 PM.