Bring Comics to a Library Near You
Todd Allen has noticed something at the Chicago Public Library. If you take a look at their catalog, you'll find a few comic book collections, but they're mixed in with Dilbert and Garfield anthologies, and a good number of them are manga or by the fine-arts-approved creators such as Chris Ware, art spiegelman, or Charles Burns. I read and enjoy many of the more "respectable" comics, but sometimes I want to spend some time with the good, old-fashioned mainstream comics. Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, and the X-Men each have more than a handful, but after that it gets to be pretty slim pickings. Daredevil, Green Lantern, Teen Titans, Captain America, even the Incredible Hulk: I couldn't find more than half a dozen titles for any of them, and a couple only had one. The T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents? Don't even think about it (although, oddly, they do have The T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Companion).
Well, all that's too bad, you might be thinking, but what do you expect me to do about it? Thanks for asking! Todd has a great idea that will let all of us read the comics we want to read and send a message to the Chicago Public Library system at the same time. If you've got a Chicago library card, borrow the comics you want to read on interlibrary loan. If enough of us order enough comics, pretty soon they're going to start noticing that we want to see more comics and graphic novels in the library, and they might just find room in their budget to buy a few more. Todd's already doing it, and he told me that in the past couple of days he went to the library to pick up a collection of Joe Kubert's Tarzan from St. Louis and a collection of Enemy Ace from Portland. I'm going to come up with a wishlist and pay them a visit over the weekend. If you're in Chicago, think of a few things you'd like to read and order them yourself. Be part of the groundswell. The more titles we ask for, the more we'll be noticed. When anything comes in, drop back by and tell us what the library went out of its way to get for you.
posted by Doug @ 1:25 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Not being a Chicagoan, I won't be able to help much.
I do my "part" at my library. They recently altered the borrowing system of the North Shore Library System (at least that's what I think NSLS stands for. Maybe it's North Side - it goes into the Northwest suburbs), allowing patrons to search the entire system for materials at *all* system libraries. You can then borrow from any system library, either in that library, or from your own library for the price of a 'hold.' (Our price, $0.50. This is half the price of an interlibrary loan)
Our library is a lot like yours, in that the 'fine-arts-approved' creators are carried heavily. (And good for them.) Super-hero comics are not quite as prevalent, though they will get things you might expect: Indentity Crisis, Superman: Birthright, even Absolute Watchmen - I think it helps if they put it in a hardcover, as the library sees that as more durable.
If you're looking for DC Archives in the Chicago area, get thee to Park Ridge. They have a very large selection. I'm not sure my borrowing of those through my library effected much change - our library still holds only a few archives: Dark Knight, several Green Lanterns, some Action Comics, the more recent Spirit Archives, Elfquest and one Adam Strange - though it may have been my old interlibrary requests that led them to acquire a volume of the Neal Adams Batman Illustrated series.
One thing I have noticed is that Marvel trades aren't carried nearly as much. Maybe I'm not searching for the "right" titles, but most things I've looked for aren't to be found. (Masterworks) The only exception seems to be Runaways, which appears to have become a staple of area children's departments, alongside the ubiquitous Bone, Tintin, and LIttle Lit.
It stands for North Suburban Library System. I was behind one of their vans on the way to work this morning.
I really should have guessed "Suburban."
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