Today’s post is focused on comics. Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about comics or graphic novels so please forgive me for begin a total noob. I came across a Marvel announcement that I thought would be of interest to some of you SLISters that precipitated writing a GTA email on this topic.
The recent announcement by Marvel mentioned that the company will be including a code for downloading the *free* digital copy within every top-selling physical comic book purchased (those priced at $3.99). Here is an article by Fast Company’s expert blogger Rob Salkowitz, questioning whether Marvel’s Digital Comic Book Shift “Will Fly” published March 12, 2012. Note that there have been previous announcements by other comic book companies (such as DC Comics) previously regarding shifting to digital, so the announcement by Marvel is not that unique…excepting codes for downloading the *free* digital versions. Interesting times.
So, I was thinking, what are the reasons that libraries do not collect comic books? Pricing and acquisition, difficult to catalog, collection development and management concerns, theft concerns. Do comics offer no learning or educational opportunities? Others reasons?? Some commentary on this very issue: Egads! Comics! In the Library!
Maybe with the announcement by Marvel, and the development of e-comic databases, more libraries will explore offering e-comic collections to their users (as an extension to currently offered graphic novel collections). Then again, I could see libraries getting out of offering any e-content at all to patrons due to pricing, licensing and availability issues, etc.
Here is a link from the University of Florida listing US university libraries with physical comic book holdings.
Library of Congress: Comic Books
If you are interested in graphic novels/comics in libraries I came across this 2010 resource, which is a holding of the University of Alberta RHSS Library. Graphic novels and comics in libraries and archives: essays on readers, research, history and cataloging by Robert Weiner.
Ok, I think I have just proposed a great research project for one of you!
infophile 