Graphic Novel Collections in Academic ARL Libraries
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Graphic Novel Collections in Academic ARL Libraries Cassie Wagner This study examines the extent to which ARL academic libraries collect graphic novels. Using a core list of 176 titles developed from winners of major comics industry awards and a library-focused “best of” list, the holdings of 111 ARL academic libraries were searched using the librar- ies’ online catalogs. Results suggest that most of the libraries studied do not aggressively collect graphic novels. Also examined were associations between date of publication, prior serialization, overall collection size, monograph budget, and ARL ranking and graphic novel holdings. To better serve scholarly research in this area of increasing interest, libraries will need to reexamine their collecting policies. ne of a handful of art forms Comics have undergone a renaissance whose development began in recent years. Since the mid-1980s, an in the United States, comic increasing number of comics have focused strips appeared around the on stories that appeal to readers outside turn of the twentieth century. The first the stereotypical demographic of young generally recognized comic book, Famous men and boys.1 Comics imported from Funnies, appeared in 1934. The success of Japan—manga—and stories in genres this work, a compendium of previously other than superheroics and science fiction published newspaper comic strips, led have appeared. This broader approach other comic strip syndicates to create their has reaped dividends. Trade comics and own collections and quickly commission graphic novels are a fast-growing area of new material for the new format. The publishing, with sales topping $250 million genre most commonly associated with in 2005, more than triple the amount sold comic books, superhero adventures, be- in 2001.2 In addition, a number of major gan in earnest with the first appearance recent movies based on comic books have of Superman in 1938. In that character’s succeeded at the box office. Movies such wake, a wave of superpowered heroes as Spider-Man, Road to Perdition, X-Men, emerged, challenging the existing genres Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and Watchmen of romance, mystery, horror, and western demonstrate that the stories told in comics comics. Public outcry over comics’ sup- have an appeal and a relevance beyond the posed role in juvenile delinquency in the traditional format and audience. 1950s led to an extended slump in comics Mirroring this popular appeal, comics sales and creativity. have been receiving increasing critical Cassie Wagner is Web Development Librarian in the Morris Library at Southern Illinois University Carbondale; e-mail: [email protected]. ©Cassie Wagner 42 Graphic Novel Collections in Academic ARL Libraries 43 and scholarly attention. Comics have comic books. In addition, several ARL won prestigious literary awards such member libraries have resource guides as the Pulitzer Prize (Maus), American related to comic books and/or strips. Book Award (Palestine), Hugo Award Terminology when talking about this (Watchmen), and Guardian Prize (Jimmy medium can be confusing. What are Corrigan) and have been recognized as a comic books, trade comics, and graphic best paperback of the year by Publishers novels? What are the differences between Weekly (Kings in Disguise).3 The amount them, if any? At a basic level, all are con- of scholarship on comics has increased structed in the same way, using a combi- continually since the 1960s as interest in nation of images and text to tell a story. all instruments of popular culture and Comic books usually are magazines of 32 media has increased.4 Michael Rhode to 48 pages sold as serials. Trade comics and John Bullough’s online bibliography are collections of the content of several of both popular and scholarly articles comic books bound together and sold about comics and comic strips runs over as monographs. Graphic novels are long 1,100 pages.5 works issued in a monograph without Like genre fiction, comics are a rich prior serialization. It is generally agreed cultural text that provides insight into the by comic book scholars that the first true period they were created. Issues tackled graphic novel published in the United directly or implicitly in the stories reflect States was Will Eisner’s A Contract with the issues and concerns of the times. God and Other Tenement Stories, which Unlike genre novels, however, comic appeared in 1978.9 books contain images, giving shape to This study looks at both trade comics the ideas of the artists and authors. As and graphic novels. The author uses the a mass medium, comics reflect the ideas term “comics” to refer to materials in and symbols important to the culture at both categories. Of the titles examined, the time of their creation.6 They also pro- more than half were serialized in part or vide evidence and interpretation of social in their entirety prior to publication as change, as well as historical and current monographs. Another large percentage events.7 Like genre novels, comics are a was issued only as monographs. A very medium that has influenced millions of small number were initially published as lives over the years and, until recently, longer single works and then combined been largely ignored by scholars as a to form larger monographs. source of cultural information. This study seeks to document the As documented by Ellis and High- holdings of graphic novels in academic smith in their article, “About Face: Comic libraries. A further goal is to gauge library Books in Library Literature,” libraries acceptance of comics, as well as the sup- and librarians have often led the charge port given to research on this popular against comic books, perhaps to reinforce culture medium. their self-image as protectors of art and knowledge. Over time, this attitude has Methods slowly changed.8 Today, comics are regu- In general, this study follows the meth- larly reviewed in publications for librar- odology used by Kevin P. Mulcahy in his ians (for instance, Library Journal, Booklist, “Science Fiction Collections in ARL Aca- Choice, and Voice of Youth Advocates). Dia- demic Libraries.”10 Because of differences mond, the major distributor of comics in in the media examined, some alterations the United States, has devoted a section were necessary. of its Web site and marketing energy to It was hypothesized that there would courting the library market. Twenty aca- be a positive correlation between library demic Association of Research Libraries holdings of graphic novels and the follow- members hold archival collections of ing variables: overall collection size, the 44 College & Research Libraries January 2010 library’s monograph budget, the presence college or university were removed. Two of an archival collection of comic books, francophone Canadian universities with and currency of book publication. French language catalogs were excluded. A list of core graphic novel titles was A total of 111 libraries were examined.13 developed using a subset of winners of This list does overlook several major col- the Eisner and Harvey Awards. These lections of graphic novels and popular awards function similarly to the Academy culture materials, such as that at Bowling Awards for film, with awards granted in Green State University, held by non-ARL a variety of categories each year. Titles libraries and nonacademic ARL members. are nominated for awards by a panel Libraries’ holdings were determined of experts and then voted on by a large through searches of the libraries’ online number of comics industry professionals. catalogs. The searches were conducted The categories chosen for this study best between March and August 2007. Only reflect the type of graphic novels collected books listed as being in the English lan- by libraries because of their emphasis guage and available in circulating collec- on book-length stories. The list of Eisner tions were included. Several of the schools Award winners came from Wikipedia, examined have extensive collections of and that of Harvey winners came from comic books, including some serial comic the award organizer’s Web site.11 books that were later collected to form the Because neither the Eisners nor Har- selected titles. These serial comics were veys extend back to the beginning of the not included because they were not part medium, a list of valuable works that span of circulating collections. Noncirculating the medium’s history was also sought. collections were excluded because of the Stephen Weiner’s The 101 Best Graphic difficulty in obtaining holdings informa- Novels is a well-recognized list of recom- tion for some of these collections online. mendations for libraries and was used to Books listed as available in the catalog at identify important graphic novels that that time (not those on order or shown have not won awards.12 In all, 176 titles as missing) were counted. Titles avail- were included. able through a consortium or at branch ARL libraries were identified using campuses were not included. ARL’s Web site. Public libraries and Because many of the titles considered research libraries not associated with a have complicated publishing histories, TABLE 1 Comics Awards Included in Study Award Abbreviation Time Period 101 Best Graphic Novels W Eisner: Best Serialized Story E1 1993+ Eisner: Best Finite/Limited Series E2 1988+ Eisner: Best Graphic Album E3 1988–1989 Eisner: Best Graphic Album New E4 1991+ Eisner: Best Graphic Album Reprint E5 1991+ Eisner: Best U.S. Edition of Foreign Material E6 1998+ Harvey: Best Graphic Album H1 1988–1990 Harvey: Best Graphic Album of Original Work H2 1991+ Harvey: Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Work H3 1991+ Harvey: Best American Edition of Foreign Material H4 1988+ Graphic Novel Collections in Academic ARL Libraries 45 TABLE 2 Total Graphic Novel Holdings of Academic ARL Libraries Percentage of Titles 100%– 75%– 50%– 25%– 15%– 10%– 5%– Owned 76% 51% 26% 16% 11% 6% 1% Number of libraries 1 4 21 20 22 30 13 Percentage of 1% 4% 19% 18% 20% 27% 12% libraries in study determining which books matched the A list of academic ARL libraries award winners was challenging.