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.

Track

Collections

Presenters

Tammy Druash, University of North Florida

Maria Atilano, University of North Florida

Tammy Druash is the Resource Description Librarian at the University of North Florida's Thomas G. Carpenter Library. She has worked in libraries since 2001 and began her professional career as the Metadata Librarian at Florida State University in 2008. She was responsible for cataloging print serials and digital materials in all formats, including rare books and archival finding aids.

Maria Atilano is the Student Outreach Librarian at the University of North Florida’s Thomas G. Carpenter Library. She began working in academic libraries in 2002 as a student employee while studying at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Before becoming a librarian, Maria held staff positions as Library Services Specialist in Public Services and Sr. Library Services Associate in Special Collections at UNF.

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