comiccons Archives | American Libraries Magazine

The Lean, Mean, Green Dream

By Sanhita SinhaRoy | June 26, 2022

And comic book author Kevin Eastman—cocreator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) series—was at the American Library Association’s 2022 Annual Conference and Exhibition on June 26 to talk about the final installment of TMNT, The Last Ronin (IDW Publishing, July 2022), and how the original series came to be. “It was a dream come … Continue reading The Lean, Mean, Green Dream →

Students build inventions around a shared table

Partnering for Success in the School Library

By Greg Landgraf | February 3, 2021

“We’re surrounded by so many wonderful people who care about our kids and our community,” says Jennifer Sutton, teacher librarian at Lake Park High School in Roselle, Illinois. Sutton organized LPC-2 with Mariela Siegert, former librarian at Westfield Middle in Bloomingdale and Sia Paganis, former librarian at Spring Woods Middle in Hanover Park. (Siegert is … Continue reading Partnering for Success in the School Library →

The convention floor at San Diego Comic-Con, held July 19-22.

Comics in the Classroom: Beyond Maus and Persepolis

By Amie Wright | July 28, 2017

One prominent theme at this year’s SDCCEL was how to “level up” comics readership and support in schools and libraries. How do we move beyond excellent but well-known titles like Persepolis and Maus to include more diverse titles and ensure systematic buy-in with key stakeholders like principals and school board members? The July 20 session … Continue reading Comics in the Classroom: Beyond Maus and Persepolis →

Jessica Andrews (as The Force Awakens' Rey) reads The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu, as recommended by the librarians at Emerald City Comicon's Pop-Up Library.

Bringing the Library to the Comic Con

By Amie Wright | March 7, 2017

Staffed by more than 35 volunteers from 12 library systems around the country, the ECCC Pop-Up Library brought together children’s librarians, teen librarians, academic librarians, and adult services librarians for the common purpose of bringing the library outside its physical space and into a new realm. The Pop-Up Library, open during exhibit hours, offered reading recommendations, research … Continue reading Bringing the Library to the Comic Con →

New York Comic Con 2016

By Ivy Noelle Weir | October 14, 2016

NYCC 2016, which ran October 6–9, teemed with excited fans from every geek subculture. While the major publishers and gaming companies held sway, a subtle conversation was taking place beneath the noise: one of diversity, inclusion, and collaborating to find safe spaces in the world of comics. To librarians familiar with panels at the American Library … Continue reading New York Comic Con 2016 →

Dolly Goyal, library director at Los Gatos (Calif.) Public Library, with Beetlejuice cosplayers.

Five Things Every Librarian Should Do at Comic-Con

By Angela Ocana | July 29, 2016

Visit the San Diego Library Visiting a library while you are at a comic book convention seems crazy, but trust me, it is more than worth it. Over the past 10 years I’ve been attending Comic-Con, I have seen the San Diego Public Library’s presence at the con grow from a booth with bookmarks and … Continue reading Five Things Every Librarian Should Do at Comic-Con →

Marcela Peres, Lizzy Walker, and Ivy Noelle Weir

Valhalla: A Safe Space for Women Librarians Who Love Comics

By Kara Pauley | June 25, 2016

On Saturday, Marcela Peres from Lewiston (Maine) Public Library, Lizzy Walker from Wichita (Kans.) Public Library, and Ivy Noelle Weir of Kennett (Pa.) Public Library led a panel with moderator Eva Volin of Alameda (Calif.) Public Library to introduce other librarians to Valhalla, an online community for women who love comics and do comics-driven work in libraries and other organizations.

ToshoCon, was presented by Salt Lake County (Utah) Library Services (SLCLS) in August 2014

Making Geeks

By Carrie Rogers-Whitehead | June 5, 2015

This scene from the second annual teen anime convention, known as ToshoCon, was presented by Salt Lake County (Utah) Library Services (SLCLS) in August 2014. And it’s just one example of libraries holding similar events around the country, filling a gap, providing a service, and having fun. As Cassidy Ward, an adult moderator at ToshoCon … Continue reading Making Geeks →

Latest Library Links

6h

Max Eddy writes: “It’s a nightmare scenario: You’ve protected all of your online accounts with two-factor authentication (2FA), but then your phone is broken, lost, or stolen, and you’re locked out of everything. Past You’s effort to protect Future You has made Present You’s life a living hell. 2FA is supposed to keep attackers and scammers out of your online accounts, but what if something happens to your second factor? With a little planning, you can reduce that risk and still keep your accounts safe.”

New York Times Wirecutter, Apr. 12
10h

Nik Altenberg writes: “About 100 librarians and their supporters rallied outside San Francisco Public Library’s Main Library on April 9 to demand the city hire security guards for every branch. Workers decried a lack of security at most of the city’s branches and said they are often forced to de-escalate volatile situations and step into the role of providing security themselves. The rally is the latest in a series of union actions [from 10 unions representing more than 25,000 city workers across city departments] seeking to draw attention to what they say is a pervasive understaffing crisis.”

KQED-TV (San Francisco), Apr. 9
1d

“Two years after Brooklyn Public Libraries’ (BPL) launch of Books Unbanned, an initiative to protect the freedom to read for young people, In Their Own Words: Youth Voices on Books Unbanned gives new insight into the impact of censorship on teen and young adults across the US and how restrictions and other barriers to access build upon and reinforce each other. The new report, published April 11 by BPL and Seattle Public Library, analyzes 855 stories shared by young people who signed up for a free Books Unbanned ecard from April 2022 through December 2023.”

Seattle Public Library, Apr. 11
1d

Samantha Guss, Sojourna Cunningham, and Jennifer Stout write: “Recruitment and retention are both critical to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in academic libraries, and failing to improve retention has and will continue to derail these initiatives. Research that addresses retention tends to focus on proposed strategies, such as stay interviews (structured interviews aimed at strengthening employee and employer relationships) and mentorship programs. But there is no agreed-upon definition of retention that would allow us to assess these strategies. We should recognize that involuntary staying can be just as negative an outcome for the individual and the organization as leaving, setting the stage for legacy toxicity.”

In The Library With The Lead Pipe, Apr. 10
2d

Jackie Edwards writes: “As spring rolls around, seasonal allergies can flare up among library workers, resulting in symptoms like sneezing; runny or stuffy nose; itchy eyes, ears, and nose; coughing; and asthma. Not only are these symptoms detrimental to well-being and productivity, but they can also mean you’re less able to provide excellent customer service to library users. Fortunately, by purifying the air, preventing mold, and keeping your work area clean, you can improve indoor air quality and combat allergies in your library.”

Library Worklife, Apr.
2d

In Episode 94, Call Number celebrates Preservation Week, to be held this year April 28–May 4. The week’s events aim to raise awareness of the role libraries and cultural institutions play in protecting historic and culturally significant collections. Segments include Traci Sorell, honorary chair of this year’s Preservation Week, discussing the role of preservation through storytelling; Kathleen Monahan, special collections public services supervisor at Boston Public Library, addressing the importance of security in preservation; and Rosie Grayburn and Melissa Tedone, cofounders of the Poison Book Project, talking about their research on potentially toxic bookbinding materials from the 19th century.

AL: The Scoop, Apr. 15
3d

Leigh Kunkel writes: “The legalization of marijuana in many states and municipalities in recent years has created a newly legal industry and budding entrepreneurs who can benefit from the expertise of business librarians. As soon as Washington state introduced an initiative to legalize recreational cannabis use in 2012, Seattle Public Library librarian Jay Lyman started fielding questions from potential entrepreneurs. Since then, 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational cannabis use, and 14 more have legalized medical use of cannabis. This cultural shift brings a new opportunity for libraries to step in with support services.”

American Libraries Trend, Mar./Apr.

View more Latest Library Links