Graphic Novels in Pennsylvania Public Libraries:
An Assessment of Online Catalogs
Sarah Campbell
Library Science 576
Dr. Lillard
Clarion University
Autumn 2010
1
INTRODUCTION
Although they began as a comedic escape, comic books have evolved into something far
beyond strips in the Sunday paper. Graphic novels, as these materials are most often referred
to today, have become their own genre (even though they are a format, not a genre) in
bookstores and libraries alike. Popularity for them has skyrocketed in the past ten years or so,
and graphic novels now compete as literary heavyweights for young readers and adults alike.
There are different branches of graphic novels, including manga, which have an age appropriate
stamp on their back cover, and comic books, which are usually based on traditional superhero
stories and have their own categories.
Literature on the topic pinpoints three main ideas: the definition of graphic
novels, the overall literary value of the format and their location in library catalogs as well as in
the library itself. Described as “combining visual art…with literary and cinematic
techniques…graphic novels contain some of the most creative work in publishing today” and
are a medium between the written word of books and the moving picture of movies. 1 This
paper will assess and investigate graphic novels in the Pennsylvania public library setting.
Where are they shelved? How much of a library’s collection is made up of graphic novels? The
research will focus on five libraries in Pennsylvania with varying sizes of graphic novel
collections in order to obtain the most information possible. It is the goal of this research to
showcase how the cataloging of graphic novels reflects their use in Pennsylvania public
libraries.
1
“Graphic Novels: Suggestions for Librarians,” NCAC.com, 10 December 2006.
http://www.ncac.org/graphicnovels.cfm
2
LITERATURE REVIEW
Any material that gets young adults (especially the challenging species of teenage boys)
interested in reading is a significant topic for research and discussion. Graphic novels have
become an important contender in circulation statistics and cultural depth, making them worth
further exploration. They have the power to attract reluctant and avid readers alike.
Depictions of historical events through multicultural eyes, vocabulary that ranges from
beginner to advanced, stories of self-discovery and respect, beautiful artistry that inspires
young talent; graphic novels can intrigue and hang on to a larger audience than just their
specialty, young adults.
Various arguments have arisen over the graphic novel revolving around the supposed
lack of substance found between the pages of these materials and their inappropriate content.
Ron Dicker summarizes the challenges that are made against graphic novels in his article on the
New York Comic Con fighting the attempts to ban graphic novels from libraries. He writes that
the majority of those challenging graphic novels are “made by parents on supposed moral
grounds – involve hundreds of titles annually in some of the nation’s 15,000 library systems”.2
The article goes on to describe how these challenges are bad in multiple ways; they prevent
other readers from obtaining the material and frighten aspiring writers who may be hesitant to
publish or change their works to avoid censorship. Dicker also includes the importance of the
draw of reluctant readers to graphic novels. Many contemporary scholars who study graphic
novels argue that besides inspiring minds, improving visual and textual literacy, attracting
reluctant readers, increasing circulation, and developing language skills, graphic novels are
2
Ron Dicker, ”Plea for Graphic Novels to Remain Free Charges Up Comic Con”, Oct. 13, 2010.
3
simply enjoyable to read and anything that fits that description should be included in a library
setting without argument.3
To begin with, one must know what a graphic novel is, along with its other related terms
(comic books and manga). After that we will delve into the deeper issues surrounding graphic
novels: shelving confusion and disagreement over the value of graphic novels including their
potential to teach and inspire. The different terms for the same items, cataloging issues
(specific to libraries) and any possible obscene content as unsuitable for the audiences most
interested in reading them are all issues for graphic novels. Each of these topics has been
examined in a vast array of articles, books and other texts which will be beneficial to the
researcher in this instance.
Comic book, graphic novel, alternative comic, and manga: all of these terms have the
potential to describe the same piece of material. Misconceptions over the inclusion of graphic
have led to many disagreements and confusion. The phrase “graphic novel” does not
necessarily mean that the material is pornographic or that it includes graphic violence. Graphic
refers to the artistry and utilization of visual images in relation to the text and novel implies
that the material is telling a story, just like any book found in the literature section of a library.
It is in this way that graphic novels are technically defined as a format rather than their own
genre. In a number of the resources available on graphic novels there is discussion on the
different names and meanings behind all of these terms.
3
See Alison Ching, “Holy Reading Revolution, Batman!,” Young Adult Library Services 3, no. 4 (2005): 19-21;
Michele Gorman, Getting Graphic: Using Graphic Novels to Promote Literacy with Preteens and Teens
(Worthington, OH: Linworth 2003);
Steve Miller, Developing and Promoting Graphic Novel Collections (New York, NY: Neal-Schumann, 2005);
4
Upon being told by a literary review editor that he is a writer of graphic novels, not
comic books, Neil Gaiman writes “…he meant it as a compliment I suppose. But all of a sudden I
felt like someone who’d been informed that she wasn’t actually a hooker; that in fact she was a
lady of the evening.”4 Being called a hooker or a lady of the evening both mean the same thing
just as graphic novels and comic books are terms that refer to the same materials. While not all
authors are in agreement with combining comic books, manga, etc into one category entitled
“Graphic Novels”, they are not wholeheartedly opposed either. As with librarians, most
authors are simply satisfied with being included as worthwhile reading material.
In Francisca Goldsmith’s book Graphic Novels Now, graphic novels are defined as being a
“narrative with a beginning, middle and end and are published in book format”.5 This broad
definition of a graphic novel having a plotline and being made of separate installments in book
format is true for many of the other resources found.6 In this instance graphic novels and comic
books are basically interchangeable. Jared Keller of The Atlantic also writes on the terms
graphic novel and comic book as “interchangeable” even though their histories are different in
that comic books began as serials and graphic novels are published and intended to be read as
one book.7
4
Hy Bender, The Sandman Companion (New York: Vertigo Books, 1999), 4.
Francisca Goldsmith, Graphic Novels Now: Building, Managing, and Marketing a Dynamic Collection (Chicago, IL:
American Library Association, 2005), 17.
6
Zahra M. Baird and Tracey Jackson, “Got Graphic Novels? More Than Just Superheroes in Tights!,” Children &
Libraries: The Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children 5, no. 1 (2007): 4-7.
Amanda Gluibizzi, “The Aesthetics and Academics of Graphic Novels and Comics,” Art Documentation 26, no. 1
(2007): 28-30.
Miller, Developing and Promoting Graphic Novel Collections.
7
Jared Keller, The State of the Graphic Novel, The Atlantic, September 18, 2010,
http://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2010/09/the-state-of-the-graphic-novel/63144
5
5
While the majority of articles do not argue over differences between comic books and
graphic novels, there are some writers who believe that they are different types of materials.
Some authors feel that graphic novels are in fact more in-depth and lengthier then comic books
and are therefore separate entities.8 Rocco Versaci gave an extensive explanation on the
differences (and similarities) between graphic novels and comic books in his book on comics.
According to Versaci, graphic novels could be either “original publications, having never
appeared before in the comic book form” or a series of comics produced together in one
volume.9 Comic books, on the other hand, have their own distinct qualities that are specific to
their format, very similar and interchangeable with comics in general.10
Another term that is constantly being used in conjunction with comic books and graphic
novels is manga, the Japanese version of the graphic novel. Manga are “one of the most
popular iterations of the graphic novel” which were “developed by the Japanese with an
extremely distinct appearance and more romantic style of plot”.11 Most articles written
specifically on manga do not even touch upon their similarities to graphic novels and in fact
qualify them as totally different categories due to their international publication.12 As was
8
Gorman, Getting Graphic.
David Hajdu, The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How it Changed America (New York, NY:
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008);
Lorena O’English, J. Gregory Matthews, & Elizabeth Blakesley Lindsay, “Graphic Novels in Academic Libraries: From
Maus to Manga and Beyond,” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 32, no. 2 (2006): 173-182.
Art Spiegelman, “Comics 101.1: What the %@$*!! happened to Comics?” (lecture, Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA,
February 2010).
9
Rocco Versaci, This Book Contains Graphic Language: Comics as Literature (New York, NY: Continuum, 2007), 30.
10
Versaci, This Book Contains Graphic Language.
11
Rob Weiner, ed., Graphic Novels and Comics in Libraries and Archives: Essays on Readers, Research, History and
Cataloging, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc, 2010, 53.
12
Casey E. Brienza, “Books, Not Comics: Publishing Fields, Globalization, and Japanese Manga in the United
States,” Publishing Research Quarterly 25, no. 2 (2009): 101-117.
Lisa Goldstein and Molly Phelan, “Are you there God? It’s Me, Manga: Manga as an Extension of Young Adult
Literature.” Young Adult Library Services 7, no. 4 (2009): 32-38.
6
pointed out in Casey Brienza’s article, manga are located in their own section in most (if not all)
Borders booksellers, separate from any comics or graphic novels. In the research that follows,
it will be determined whether libraries follow the bookstore theory of separating manga, or if
they are shelved under graphic novels.
The other problem with graphic novels is their assumed audience, just as Gaiman
describes in the rest of his thoughts on the editor who told him he was no longer a writer of
comics, but rather a graphic novelist. Gaiman describes the editor as being “so stuck on the
idea that comics are juvenile he couldn’t deal with something good being done as a comic book.
He needed to put Sandman in a box to make it respectable”.13 This is a substantial issue that
librarians have trouble with in the world of graphic novels: how to show the patrons the worth
of graphic novels as significant literature instead of compilations of Sunday strips.
With the growing respect of graphic novels, many have noticed that it is “a genre that
has generated a Pulitzer Prize winner, the Holocaust tale Maus, and other well-regarded
bestsellers such as Watchman and The Dark Knight Returns”.14 However, there are still attacks
on graphic novels in public and school libraries, even independent comic book stores. In his
article, Dicker lists a few recent cases on challenges to graphic novels in libraries and
summarizes that:
Every form of comics has been under siege at some point, Caldwell-Stone
pointed out, reaching a high-water mark with psychiatrist Frederic Wertham's
anti-comic rant, Seduction of the Innocent, in the mid-50s. Graphic novels
Adam Schwartz and Eliane Rubinstein-Avila, “Understanding the Manga Hype: Uncovering the Multimodality of
Comic-Book Literacies,” Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 50, no. 1 (2006): 40-49.
13
Binder, The Sandman Companion, 4.
14
Dicker, “Plea for Graphic Novels to Remain Free Charges Up Comic Con”.
7
sometimes don't get respect as a literary form, either, even though it's a genre
that has generated a Pulitzer Prize winner, the Holocaust tale Maus, and other
well-regarded bestsellers such as Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns.
Graphic novels have also been converted into live-action film dramas like A
History of Violence.15
Educators, librarians and scholars alike are agreeing on the benefits of graphic novels.16
Not only are they vastly popular among teenagers and reluctant readers, graphic novels provide
a wide array of different subjects and themes. If graphic novels are able to lure young adults
into the library there should be no attacks on them.
One of the most beneficial aspects of graphic novels is one that makes it an absolute
essential to public libraries of today. With the high rise in immigration and the need to learn
English for many new citizens, graphic novels are a learning tool. Unlike picture books and easy
chapter books, graphic novels have a wide age range making them compatible for all English
Second Language (ESL) students. In their research, Williams and Peterson interviewed a variety
of educators including some who were “using graphic novels as writing prompts for Englishlanguage learners and native English speakers struggling with high school writing”.17 In
combination with the story of imagery, ESL students are able to connect meanings to words.
They are an ideal format for those learning to read English and who might be too old for
Curious George books.
15
Dicker, “Plea for Graphic Novels to Remain Free Charges Up Comic Con”.
Lorena O’English, J. Gregory Matthews, & Elizabeth Blakesley Lindsay, “Graphic Novels in Academic Libraries”.
17
Virginia Kay Williams and Damen V. Peterson, “Graphic Novels in Libraries Supporting Teacher Education and
Librarianship Programs,” LRTS 53, no. 3 (2009): 166-173.
16
8
In relation to ESL students, graphic novels are also arbitrators of self-discovery for
teenagers of all ethnicities and upbringings. Examples include American Born Chinese by Gene
Luan Yang (National Book Award Finalist, 2007 Michael L. Printz Award winner), Persepolis: The
Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi and Smile (A Dental Drama) by Raina Telgemeier
(Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Title 2010). In each of these books, main characters are
faced with their concept of self as it changes in relation to their environment, physical
attributes, family history, peers, and all the other factors that we face in daily life. Young adults
use graphic novels not only for entertainment, but also to find security in knowing that they are
not the only ones struggling to identify who they are and where they fit in. These same
messages are found in young adult fiction and a number of classic literature texts (To Kill a
Mockingbird, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Giver). The characters in each of these stories are
comforting and bring familiarity to the people reading them, no matter what background.
Censorship is a key issue when dealing with graphic novels and manga especially.
Arguments over the offensive nature of these are baseless because libraries are filled with
possibly offensive materials. One of the reasons graphic novels are so heavily challenged is
because “a picture is simply more in-your-face than text” as Martha Cornog and Steve Raiteri
state in their article on challenges and changes in the world of graphic novels.18 It seems that
as graphic novels gain speed in libraries, so do the number of challenges to the format in
general.
18
Martha Cornog & Steve Raiteri, “Grahic Novels: Challenge & Change,” Library Journal, May 15, 2008.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/ljinprint/currentissue/861196403/graphic_novels_challenge_amp_change.html.csp
9
There are a number of resources available for librarians who need reassurance on how
to protect and expand their graphic novel collection. Ideas include separating the format into
age ranges, stock a wide variety of materials including classic Sunday comic compilations,
superhero comic books, Japanese manga, religious themed graphic novels, etc and be sure to
update library policies to include defense of graphic novel collections. One of the most
important tasks to include is educating both patrons and staff members. Cornog and Raiteri
discuss the origins of challenges to graphic novels: “Sex and nudity in graphic novels do seem to
be the main reasons for objections and challenges in libraries, and many come from library
staff. In a survey by the ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom, 185 public libraries reported a
total of 149 graphic novel objections or challenges: 75 external and 74 internal.”19
Graphic novels can be shelved in almost any part of the library. Like in most bookstores
today, they can be put in their own section (frequently near young adult fiction), in the
nonfiction section under the 741 category (either juvenile, young adult or adult), or in the
fiction section whether it’s adult or young adult.20 The latter choice is the least exploited of the
three. Creating an entirely separate section for graphic novels seems to be the best and most
used option because it is more convenient for patrons seeking graphic novels specifically.
While it is the most intensive option for catalogers, it is also the most beneficial for patrons.
Nonfiction shelving also makes sense if one considers graphic novels an art form above a
literary work. This can be a less user-friendly method, however, when considering how
confusing the Dewey Decimal System is for some patrons and the various places graphic novels
19
Cornog & Raiteri, “Grahic Novels”.
Ching, “Holy Reading Revolution, Batman!”
Miller, Developing and Promoting Graphic Novel Collections.
20
10
can be cataloged when many young adults are simply seeking the materials in general. On the
other hand, it is the most technically correct because graphic novels are their own format which
“refers to the physical style of the book and can cover many genres, or types of content” and
should be cataloged with like subject matter rather than in their own section. 21 In this sense,
librarians may shelve graphic novels according to their subject matter because some graphic
novels are considered historical, biographical or movie tie-ins, which can lead to even more
confusion because they are shelved separately under nonfiction.22 It can also be challenging to
direct and market graphic novels when they are interfiled with nonfiction materials.23 As
mentioned previously, the biggest reason to house graphic novels in their own section is for
patron access. Those who are interested in graphic novels want to see all their options in one
section rather than “searching the catalog for items in graphic format, and then spend
additional time hunting and picking them out from the larger collection”.24 It seems unfair to
make those searching for the graphic novel format specifically to search through the various
places their titles might be held: adult fiction or nonfiction, biography or juvenile fiction, young
adult fiction or nonfiction.
The largest issue when cataloging graphic novels is age appropriateness. This is where
the most challenges to materials in the library come from. Research has shown that most
parents have concerns over where graphic novels are placed in the library, not their actual right
to be there.25 Although it is not (in most public libraries) the librarian’s responsibility to decide
what is suitable for each child to read, this is still an issue that librarians must be aware of in
21
Weiner, ed., Graphic Novels and Comics in Libraries and Archives, 57.
Goldsmith, Graphic Novels Now.
23
Miller, Developing and Promoting Graphic Novel Collections.
24
Weiner, ed., Graphic Novels and Comics in Libraries and Archives, 57.
25
Weiner, ed., Graphic Novels and Comics in Libraries and Archives, 59.
22
11
order to avoid parental conflicts. Many librarians rely on journals such as Booklist or School
Library Journal to help them decide where to shelve items, or even the publisher as a useful
tool in age range information.26
Making all graphic novels conveniently available in one section of the entire library or on
their on shelves in each age section (juvenile, young adult, adult) is more patron-friendly than
most options. Shelving them by subject matter is the most technically correct way to catalog
graphic novels, however. This method would include interfiling fictional graphic novels with
other fiction sections and nonfictional graphic novels with other nonfiction, along with the
tough decisions of movie tie-in editions and biographical works. It is the hope of this researcher
to find various forms of cataloging graphic novels in order to have a well-rounded study.
Graphic novels are rising in popularity and worth taking a look at. They are labeled as
literary contenders for all ages with the ability to bring unlikely users into the library. It has
been estimated that most graphic novel readers are under 21 years of age because it is
“difficult to follow the story line from panel to panel” and those who are older “get frustrated
with the flow (or perceived lack thereof)”.27 The benefits of having graphic novels in public
library collections are numerous: they are ESL student-friendly, portray varying perspectives of
historical events, have the ability to encourage self-discovery and self-worth, bring creative
expressions of artistry, and are extremely popular with young adults.
26
27
Weiner, ed., Graphic Novels and Comics in Libraries and Archives, 55.
Weiner, ed., Graphic Novels and Comics in Libraries and Archives, 60.
12
PRESENTATION OF THE RESEARCH
A list of all branch and public libraries in the state of Pennsylvania was obtained
from the Institute of Museum and Library Services website and three libraries were chosen to
be studied. These libraries did not include bookmobiles, independent branches, or other
similar locations. Three libraries from different counties (Dauphin, Cumberland and Lancaster)
in South Central Pennsylvania were chosen for this study with a varying amount of graphic
novels in each collection. The research will help to answer the questions of locating graphic
novels. Are online search mechanisms helpful or too difficult to use when browsing catalogs?
It is this researcher’s hope to be able to assess the graphic novel collections of the three
libraries chosen through their online catalog.
Please be aware that in the following research all three terms (comic books, manga and
graphic novels) are interchangeable when discussing the overall results because both have the
same basic characteristics and are, for the most part, shelved collectively under the heading
“Graphic Novels” in today’s public libraries (including the author’s). The chosen term is graphic
novels because it sounds more marketable, as many authors have agreed upon, and because it
is the more modern term widely used in today’s libraries. When a specific search is being
discussed the terms utilized will be made clear. “Graphic novels” refers to the total
accumulation of all results of all searches that are valid to the research and discussion.
The libraries that were chosen for this detailed study are: East Shore Area Library of the
Dauphin County Library System, John Graham Public Library of the Cumberland County Library
System Red Land Community Library of York County Library System. Each of these libraries has
13
a separate collection for graphic novels that is marked in their online catalog. This makes them
ideal for research on graphic novel collections.
The study of library catalogs was conducted from November 16, 2010 through
November 29, 2010. In order to determine how many graphic novels a library held, the
researcher located the online catalog for each library. I then searched for key terms such as
“graphic novels” as a keyword or general keyword to open the examination (subject, title,
author, etc searches are discussed individually with the library sections). Results were brought
up with a total of how many items the library had relating to the keywords “graphic novels”.
Because most libraries share their online catalog with the other libraries in their particular
system, this information was too broad. It was then narrowed down to the specific library I was
searching in by modifying the search to location on the system’s catalog. The searches were
performed for each library and any continuing searches will be more thoroughly discussed
under each section.
So as to convey an accurate number of graphic novels in each library’s collection the
online catalogs were used to search for: graphic novels, comic books and manga as beginning
terms. After those basic search terms were employed, the Library of Congress Authorities
subject headings under “graphic novels” were enlisted for further results. These included:
comic book novels, graphic albums, graphic fiction, graphic nonfiction, graphic novellas,
nonfiction graphic novels.28 The numbers were gathered and examined individually as well as
added together to form a total number of graphic novels in each library and library system.
Each term was searched for by “keyword” or “general keyword”. These searches lead into the
28
“Graphic Novels” Library of Congress, accessed November 15,2010, http://authorities.loc.gov/.
14
discussion of online catalogs and their discrepancies in providing accurate portrayals of each
library’s graphic novel holdings whether it be through showcasing the duplicate records of the
same item or by making it difficult to browse the complete collection of graphic novel titles.
EAST SHORE AREA LIBRARY, DAUPHIN COUNTY
Located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the East Shore Area Library has the largest graphic
novel collection of the three libraries studied. The opening searches were under the Advanced
Keyword tab of Dauphin County Library System’s (DCLS) online catalog. All three terms (graphic
novels, comic books and manga) were searched for to obtain a rough estimation of how large
both DCLS’s and East Shore Area Library’s collection were. The results are displayed in the bar
chart displayed below. These numbers are the direct results of the search without regard to
duplicate or unlisted items.
15
After the opening investigations were performed, I was able to delve deeper into the
issue of how to browse graphic novels in East Shore Area Library’s online catalog. The terms
provided by the Library of Congress Authorities for subject heading “graphic novels” were next
on the list to be investigated. The only terms out of this list that provided results were “comic
book novels”, “graphic fiction”, “graphic nonfiction”, and “nonfiction graphic novels” with the
last two search terms having less than five results in all search categories combined.
When searching for “graphic novels” under a subject browse the options relevant to the
study with substantial amounts of results (more than 10) were “Graphic novels” itself, “Graphic
novels-Japan” and “Graphic novels- Juvenile”. A subject browse for “comic books” had the
same restrictions leading to results under “Comic books, strips, etc.” which had three subheadings all its own: “Caricatures and Cartoons”, “Wit and humor, Pictorial” and “Cartoons and
Comics”. The search for “manga” under a subject browse recovered: “Manga-Comic books,
strips, etc.” and “Manga-Comic books, strips, etc.-Juvenile” with substantial results in both of
the categories. Besides “graphic novels”, which we discussed as a major search term
previously, each of these results brought in no more than 275 items in the catalog each with
“Graphic novels-Juvenile” holding the most items at 275.
There are a number of ways to tag graphic novels in the DCLS online catalog for further
searching. The graphic adaptation of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The
Lightning Thief (the graphic novel) has at least five subject headings that it can be found under
in the catalog. Besides “Graphic novels-Juvenile”, it is cataloged under “Camps-Comic books,
strips, etc”, “Mythology, Greek-Comic books, strips, etc” and “Poseidon (Greek deity)-Comic
books, strips, etc” to name a few. Likewise, the popular Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale by Art
16
Spiegelman is not only described as “Spiegelman, Art-Comic books, strips, etc” but also
“Holocaust survivors-United States-Biography-Comic books, strips, etc”. Another example is
Raina Telgemeier’s Smile which breeches subjects such as “Youth-Dental Care”, “Beauty,
personal” and “Self-esteem in adolescence” in addition to “Graphic Novels-Juvenile”. Graphic
novels can be found almost anywhere in the library catalog.
This study of the DCLS online catalog, specifically East Shore Area Library’s holdings,
brought forth a vast array of information. Not only are there at least fifteen different terms
that can be used when referring to graphic novels in a search of the online catalog, but there
are also mixed results for each of these searches. The search with the most results was “comic
books” as a general keyword and there were three searches tied for least results (besides the
searches returning no results whatsoever) at 1 item: both “graphic albums” and “nonfiction
graphic novels” as general keywords and “cartoons and comics” in an author/performer
keyword search. Overall, the finding of graphic novels in the DCLS online catalog was userfriendly and well-organized for finding the thousands of items available in their collection. It
was also easy to determine what items were located at East Shore Area Library itself.
When it came to duplicate records of items in DCLS’s online catalog, there were no real
issues. One result on the keyword search for graphic novels (or any other search for that
matter) may have been for an item that had multiple copies in the library but all were cataloged
in the same way making them consistent. This combining of multiple copies of an item into one
record brought errors into the research because it was not figured into the results found on any
searches by the online catalog’s search engine. In this way it was a negative factor in the
research. For patrons simply browsing the catalog it was a positive thing.
17
JOHN GRAHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY, CUMBERLAND COUNTY
Set in Newville, Pennsylvania the John Graham Public Library has the smallest range of
graphic novels in this study. Once again, the study began with a search for the three main
keywords (manga, comic books, and graphic novels) and then continued with the search for the
terms from LC Authorities. The figure shown below is a depiction of the results from the first
search without regard to duplicate or unlisted items. The numbers were taken straight from
the online catalog outcome of the first searches.
Results were not found for either “graphic albums”, “graphic nonfiction”, “graphic
novellas”, or “nonfiction graphic novels”. There were more consistencies in the Cumberland
County Library System online catalog than in the Dauphin County Library System online catalog,
however. For example, when searching for “graphic novels” I was given the same number of
results in my keyword, subject keyword and subject words searches. This was also true for the
“comic books, strips, etc.-United States” search.
18
In order to maintain consistency throughout the research, I used the same graphic
novels in all three libraries when doing a specific subject headings search. Unfortunately, Percy
Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (the graphic novel) is not part of Cumberland
County Library System’s collection. Art Spiegelman’s Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale was found in the
collection at three other libraries in Cumberland County. In this catalog, Maus has been tagged
as “Spiegelman, Vladek-Comic books, stirps, etc”, “Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)-BiographyComic books, strips, etc”, “Holocaust survivors-Biography-Comic books, strips, etc” and four
other keywords similar or exactly the same as those found in Dauphin County Library System’s
online catalog. Found in two libraries besides John Graham Public Library, Smile also had
similar descriptions as DCLS: “Youth-Dental Care”, “Beauty, personal” and “Self-esteem in
adolescence”, except for the addition of “Comic books, strips, etc” at the end of each
description.
Also of note was that CCLS had no mention of graphic novels anywhere in the subjects
for either item chosen. Smile was cataloged under the genre of “graphic novels and Maus had
no genre category in its record but rather a mention of Series (“Spiegelman, Art. Maus.”)
because it is the first volume in a two-part series. These contradictions should be noted as
negative feedback in the search for graphic novel collections. This caused me to question my
initial keyword search for “graphic novels” to be sure that Smile appeared in that search and to
discover if Maus was considered a graphic novel in the search. When Maus did turn up I was
able to look at the record again and realized that there were two different records for the same
title in the system. This means that the same item has been cataloged twice in the system
through different methods and subject headings. There are multiple other instances of
19
duplicate titles throughout each of the library's catalogs, as previously mentioned in the
research. The second record had no mention genre as well, but nor did it have a series which
the first copy of Maus had included. The record of Smile did turn up in the search for “graphic
novels” as a keyword, however, which bodes well for the online catalog.
These similarities between Dauphin County and Cumberland County Library Systems
may have something to do with their online catalog provider(s). Both systems have catalogs
through “Horizon Information Portal” but with different upgrades possibly accounting for the
lack of a “graphic novels” subject under CCLS’s individual records. It will be interesting to
discuss how Red Land Community Library’s online catalog might differ from these two
considering it is powered by a different provider altogether (Millenium). Will there be more
accurate or numerous descriptions of each graphic novel, or less?
RED LAND COMMUNITY LIBRARY, YORK COUNTY
With a collection that falls somewhere in between East Shore Area Library and John
Graham Public Library in relation to graphic novel collections at each individual library, Red
Land Community Library is the last catalog to be scrutinized. The opening searches as I have
done for the past two libraries were once again repeated for Red Land Community Library and
are displayed in the chart shown below in their simplest numbers. As stated in the previous
sections, these numbers are the direct results of the search engine without consideration of
duplicate or unlisted items. The second round of searching brought the LC Authorities different
key terms to describe graphic novels into the mix.
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There were five different methods of searching Red Land Community Library’s online
catalog relevant to this research: by simple keyword, subject, genre, note, or any field.
Surprisingly, these searches brought back more consistent results than I had been finding in the
past catalogs. Every term had the same results in the simple keyword search as it did in the any
field search. The other three options for searching had an outcome that was slightly different
than the other two, however. Both “graphic albums” and “graphic novellas” had absolutely no
results in any search.
The most interesting discovery, however, was upon searching for “nonfiction graphic
novels” in a subject search. This brought up one result: the twenty-fourth volume of a Japanese
manga series entitled Bleach. It is safe to say that this is not a nonfictional work. After a quick
glance at the “genre” headings for this item it was found that Bleach came up with a nonfiction
search because it is a “Japanese language edition—Nonfiction” which, upon being further
searched, came up with no other results itself.
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Once again I came back to the three titles that have been decided as investigative
resources and once again, I was unable to find the first item on my list. Percy Jackson and the
Olympians: The Lightning Thief the graphic novel, although it has been ordered for Red Land
Community Library, is not available for viewing in the online catalog. The regular subject
headings for Maus I: A Survivors Tale were found in Red Land Community Library’s online
catalog as they were in both John Graham Public Library’s and East Shore Area Library’s
catalogs. “Spiegelman, Vladek-Comic books, strips, etc” and “Spiegelman, Art-Comic books,
strips, etc” were present along with mentions of the Holocaust and Holocaust survivors. This
means that even though York County Library System uses a different search provider
(Millenium), it uses the same subject heading characteristics and terms as the provider used by
Dauphin County and Cumberland County Library Systems (Horizon Information Portal). Much
like the earlier search for Smile by Raina Telgemeier in the Cumberland County Library System’s
online catalog, the item was not available at the specific library I was studying but rather at
another library in the county system. It was also tagged as the exact same references as
previously found in DCLS (“Youth-Dental Care”, “Beauty, personal” and “Self-esteem in
adolescence”) which is also similar to the tags from CCLS. It was also cataloged in the genre of
“Graphic novels—United States”.
Second copies found in Red Land Community Library’s online catalog were either
cataloged together or not actual duplicates. For example, the series entitled Nightschool, the
Japanese manga series Vampire Knight, Nana and Sand Chronicles (and more) all had one
record on the catalog that hosted separate volumes within the one record. This was not a
regular occurrence for the other graphic novel series, however. Volumes of both Naruto and
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Owly were cataloged as individual records. It is possible that Nana was more recently added to
the collection than the other series and is therefore being cataloged in the newly instituted
method for the library system. Therefore the numbers for Red Land’s graphic novel search
were not entirely without error, just as they were for East Shore Area Library and John Graham
Public Library.
There were also repeated instances of graphic novels with copies being found in two
different areas of Red Land Community Library (usually Juvenile Fiction and Young Adult
Graphic Novels) for possibly reasonable explanations. One of these items was Pendragon: The
Merchant of Death the graphic novel which is reading material for both age ranges and
therefore might sensibly be shelved in two areas of the library. This did not seem to occur in
the other individual libraries of this research. While Cumberland County Library System may
have had Bone the graphic novel series by Jeff Smith cataloged under Juvenile in one library and
young adult in another, it was not in two different places of the same library. Further research
would need to be done to decide whether it is smarter to have multiple copies in the same area
of a library or cataloged in different areas for different readers.
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CONCLUSION
In doing this study, I had wanted to know that libraries were providing graphic novels to
the patrons who wanted them and I discovered that, for the most part, they are. These three
different libraries all have searchable online catalogs. The diverse ways to go about finding
graphic novel collections have been researched and discussed. There were issues when it came
to duplicate records for the same item, unsearchable key terms provided by the Library of
Congress Authorities website, It is my conclusion that this study has found healthy graphic
novel collections in three Pennsylvania public libraries with online catalogs that make the most
of a variety of keywords in order to connect their patrons with the materials they are searching
for.
That is not to say that there are not inconsistencies throughout the online catalogs
studied. Many of the problems in finding graphic novels had to do with these irregularities. For
example, when looking at the specific titles (Percy Jackson, Maus, Smile) it was noted that one
item might be cataloged under the genre “Graphic novels” while another was noted as being
“Graphic novels—United States”. While this would most likely not cause any major problem in
searching for an item, it is still an unnecessary variation that could be fixed in all catalogs by
simply making note of all graphic novels in a format rather than a genre or something similar.
A more in-depth study could focus on the differences between the categories of graphic
novels (manga, alternative comics, superhero comic books, etc) or examine the cataloging
information more thoroughly. This research, however, was meant to be a more general
investigation on the current state of graphic novels in Pennsylvania public libraries; how they
are being utilized and what the collections look like in terms of figures. To that purpose this
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research was a success. Potential branches to the research could include a more in-depth study
of the location of graphic novels. One could also look into the history of graphic novels in
Pennsylvania public libraries and how they have risen from nonexistence to their own cataloged
format.
It has been concluded that graphic novels are well integrated in Pennsylvania public
libraries. While they are not thriving as of yet, they are on the move to becoming more
welcomed reading materials for all ages. The discussion of locations on graphic novels shows
that they are geared toward all ages with content appropriate labels in the libraries. This
researcher believes that the future holds much promise for the format as it continues to rise in
both value and popularity as a material for public libraries.
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