Things Librairans Should Unlearn: Comic Book Edition!

[This week's review will be posted in a few days so I can join in on the Manga Movable Feast! YAY!]

I was inspired by Joyce Valenza's post (which was inspired by this post) earlier this week about what Teacher Librarians Should Unlearn and her challenge to create a meme based off of this was almost impossible to resist.

So I present to you, Things Librarians Should Unlearn: Comic Book Edition. This collaborative effort by me, The Philosopher Musician, and Sir Shanley hope to enlighten you about some common misconceptions about comics and the library.

Things Librarians Should Unlearn: Comic Book Edition

1. Graphic novels are not literature
2. Graphic novels and comic books do not belong in the library
3. All graphic novels should only be shelved in the [adult, teen, or children's] collection.
4. The ALA Great Graphic Novel Lists, professional titles, and professional journals are the best and, in fact, only graphic novel collection development tools out there.
5. Book to graphic novel adaptations are usually awesome and a must have. Especially classic books and authors.
6. Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and DragonBall Z are the best examples of manga.
7. Anime and manga titles we don't recognize are probably dirty, violent, and pornographic.
8. Only social outcasts and reluctant readers read graphic novels.
9. Only children read comics.
10. Librarians don't read comics.

ALA Great Graphic Novel Nominations for 2011 (1)

I wrote this way back when the list was first published and am only now getting around to posting this. Yay for Grad School distraction! I have since read some of the titles, which I will post reviews of soon.

Somewhere on my Twitter feed, I saw this Tweet that the Nomination for the Great Graphic Novels of 2011 is available. While this is excited news, can I be honest with you? As a librarian and an avid graphic novel reader, even though I'm not as in touch as I have been, about 80% of these titles are no where to be found on my blog rolls nor what I have seen circulating in the library. I mean, where's Gaiman's Whatever Happened To the Caped Crusader? (Ok, a little research shows this should have been on the 2010 list. I nearly CRIED over the brilliance of it). Where's Chi's Sweet Home which looks like it is going to be everyone's favorite all-ages GN (DAWWWWWWWWWW! Expect a review!). I find it uneasy that I don't recognize even half of the nominations.

I honestly feel like I shouldn't complain. I'm not on the committee (yet, but intend to after grad school), but honestly, I'm not that excited about this list. I mean, 2010 had many titles I recognized, wanted to read, and were, I thought, good picks, but this list? I recognize more titles as I look at it, but then I notice all the "book-to-graphic-novel" suggestions, which are seriously hit and miss. I just read a Marvel adaptation that almost killed the book for me (except there are great movie adaptions-expect a review) and one title on this list, when I post the review, isn't pretty as well. And speaking of book-to-GN adaptations, where is the infamous (I didn't/couldn't finish it) Twilight GN? Didn't the book make it to one of the other lists?  Or Maximum Ride?

Maybe as a GN reader, I have different expectations of the Great Graphic Novel list, but I think there should be more to the list than book adaptations, or just what looks like it'll work. Yes, plot is important, but we also like pure fluff and sometimes the really zany.

Comics and Education: Links

First, I must say that the following has nothing to do with my politics. In fact, I'm not even in this particular state, so I assume it doesn't really matter, but just wanted to let you know.

When I first clicked on this link ("An Open Letter to Maryland State Senator Nancy King", ReTweeted by J. Torres from Dean Trippe) in my twitter feed today, I could not stop laughing at the picture. Seriously, the link that laying off teachers means kids will go off and read comics and not learn anything? I just had to laugh.

Unfortunately, I can't believe this stereotype is still around today. I mean, this stereotype goes way back (thinking the stuff from 1950s/1960s). I link it to you today because Dean Trippe has a lot of good things to say about comics and education. In fact, he even links to a non-profit that is linking educational comics to teachers.
------
Speaking of comics, tomorrow is International Read Comics in Public Day. I'll find a way to participate even though I'm working...

SLJ Cover - Yet another voice

So, the library book review blogosphere is buzzing with the controversy over School Library Journal's "November Cover."

For a recap, here's the link...with comments from others.

What are this Little Librarian's thoughts on it? Well, thanks to ReadingRants on Twitter, I knew the photo shoot was 1.) during daylight hours and 2.) no drinking was really occuring. Either way, the choice of a bar for the photo still didn't make sense to me until someone mentioned (in the comments) the quote is a play off of a beer ad. To be frank, that was a creative idea and I really enjoyed the "This Blog's for You!" as a hook to get me to look at the article.The article itself is very well written and I gained a lot of new knowledge and resources in preparing this blog ("graphic novel reviews for librarians by a librarian who loves graphic novels and other stuff").

The photo: Well, I really don't have any thoughts on it. As a 20-something librarian, I am not surprised about the drinking side of things. Librarians drink. Only about 10% of the librarians I know don't drink (me included for personal reasons). Think back to the last conference you attended. Think back to the latest SCHOOL librarian conference you attended. Every social event included some sort of drinking event at least once a day. I met a favorite author at a drinking thing. I ran into my mentors at open bar in the hotel lobby. Both at a school librarian conference. On the other hand, at public librarian conferences it seems expected we drink.

Friends, librarians drink (water, beer, wine, tea, coffee, chocolate milk, etc).

Also, who sees SLJ in your school? If you are good about your mail, it goes in a box and you read it in the office because heaven forbid you should be caught reading it at the desk (this is my opinion - I could be wrong, but that's me). Also, the only people who see this professional title are other teachers and yourself. Students generally don't know it exists. Believe me on this one. Photos don't influence children and teens to drink, people do. Besides, by the time a child is six, they know about bars and drinking. How they understand that is different. In my opinion, the cover is harmless and at first glance, you don't know it's a bar, especially from a distance. Heck, I had to search for the martinis because I didn't realize they were there.

In fact, the children's librairan and myself discussed this cover and we were saying "Who do you think is the more friendly person?"

If you have a problem with the cover, I am going to be blunt: wake up. Realize we are human and realize we drink. Realize that the "tea-drinking" librarian is a stereotype and it's time to move on or you'll be left behind.