ARLIS/NA 45th Annual Conference

This panel will weave together four projects in graphic novel and comic book collection development that provide insight on issues of acquiring, processing, accessing, and archiving these collections. Penny Baker’s paper concentrates on the Clark Art Institute's acquisition of photographer, filmmaker and theorist Allan Sekula’s collection of political comics and graphic novels. Baker will describe the processing of the collection and its possible impact on the future direction of the Clark Art Institute’s collection development policies while covering issues centering on discovery and access. As comics creators increasingly publish their work online through blogs, social media sites, and through online only webcomics, libraries are challenged to acquire this material that can enrich and inform extant print collections. Megan Halsband will discuss the two webcomics collections at the Library of Congress, outlining some of the successes and challenges, as well as posing some questions about collaborative collecting. With over 40 years of experience in Latin American Studies, Peter Stern’s paper will cover collecting Latin American graphic novels at the University of Massachusetts. Marianne R. Williams’ paper will give an overview of her experience creating a collection development policy for graphic novels for the Hart House Library at the University of Toronto, and will include suggestions and tips on where to start collecting and acquiring comic books for your library. We hope to share our experiences and insights working with comic books and graphic novels to inspire others to either begin similar collections within their own library or share relevant resources in acquiring and processing these materials.