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Randall W. Scott's 1990 book,
Comics Librarianship: A Handbook, has been an invaluable resource for me. It was my bible when I was reorganizing the Fanta library (with the help of others). (I often reference Scott's indexing handiwork (as well as Dr. Peter M. Coogan's) via the online Michigan State University comics library catalog.)
Aimed primarily at academic librarians, it has introductions by both Sanford Berman (librarian Berman advocates social justice by way of freedom of information and "alternative" cataloging) and Cat Yronwode (probably best known as the editor-and-chief of the comics publisher Eclipse).[1] (The book also includes an amusing exchange via letter between the latter and Scott about how a comic's real title is always located in the indicia, a bit of wisdom that has been passed down to every intern I've ever worked with.) Not only is
Comics Librarianship the gold standard against which I judge all books on the subject: it's a brisk and witty read, and was visionary for its time (he jokes about many, many theses about comics being written in the middle of the next century; it only took about 20 years.)[2]
So it's inevitable that, despite the pressing need to modernize the information in
Comics Librarianship (as of 1990, graphic novels had not yet changed the name of the game: Scott is mostly writing about adding single issues to the collection),
Graphic Novels Beyond The Basics pales in comparison. In fact, the chapter I found the most valuable, "Comics and Graphic Novels in the Academic Library Collection," by Lorena O'English, basically just brings Scott's book up to date, name-checking the work frequently. (O'English even expands on Scott's point that a comics librarian needs to have marketing skills and be able to handle the media.)
Though, as I explained in Part One,
Graphic Novels Beyond The Basics: Insights and Issues for Libraries isn't aimed at me, I have to wonder what its intended audience thinks of (a) the book's tone and (b) the book's cover. At times it seems as though Cornog and Perper are trying to entreat children to do something they don't want to do by being overly enthusiastic: "And when you combine the two [words and pictures], you get something quite extraordinary!" (xv); "Girls and women
are reading comics — not just shōjo (girls) manga but other manga and American comics too. Who knew?"[3]
It's also fortunate for Cornog and Perper that librarians are trained not to judge a book by its cover, because the cover to
Graphic Novels Beyond The Basics, designed by Joseph DePinho, with clip-art by Punch Stock, Shutterstock and Getty Images, has a clashing color palette, an awkwardly represented explosion, and the word "graphic" in a pattern that I think is supposed to gesture at Ben Day dots.[4] In contrast, Scott's
Comics Librarianship, in
its simple goldenrod library binding, visually gives a much more convincing argument for the importance of the topics covered therein. I'm no graphic designer, but even I know that sometimes, less is more.
Essentially, though,
Graphic Novels Beyond The Basics has a few things to teach someone who already knows Superman's origin story; Cornog's and Erin Byrne's essay "Censorship of Graphic Novels in Libraries" is a must-read, if only for the sections on the most-challenged titles (maybe I shouldn't have been surprised that the top title was
Maus, but I was) and the nine case studies which feature a patron's complaint about a graphic novel, how his or her librarian responded, and the aftermath. Even comics publishers may glean a few tidbits (librarians want you to come to their conventions!).
Robin Brenner concludes the book by adventurously taking a stab at writing about videogames in libraries, which, after the inroads that DVDs and comics have made, seems like the next logical step. And, since Scott's
Comics Librarianship appears to be unavailable for purchase at my usual go-to sites for used books (it may only be available at finer libraries near you),
Graphic Novels Beyond The Basics is, at least, obtainable.
Notes:
[1] Eclipse published Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman's work on Miracleman, Scott McCloud's Zot!, etc.
[2] Actually, the first time I read it, it was actually "for fun" when I was in high school. That's probably why I doodled little hearts around the title when I was writing notes for this article.
[3] Although, as an individual, I have to kind of admire the two for coming to manga by way of the hentai Ogenki Clinic.
[4] I can't tell you how many hideous covers I've seen on academic books about comics. I realize their designers probably aren't used to comic art, but I would suggest that when it comes to bad clip-art and the urge to put the title in word balloons, starbursts, and/or Ben Day dots, they should Just Back Away.
Image credits:
Empowered panel: from Empowered Vol. 2. [©2007 Adam Warren]
Neil Gaiman wrote and Frank Quitely drew this panel from "Destiny" in The Sandman: Endless Nights. [©2003 DC Comics]
Kristy Valenti currently works for The Comics Journal and Fantagraphics Books, Inc.
Uncharted Territory is © Kristy Valenti, 2010
