Literacy

According to this posting on the Source, DC collections are adding LoC information and will be added to the library's holdings. The Library of Congress has a few other comics connections of late, including an SPX collection, so the place of comics in the nation's greatest library is clearly growing.

Hints From Heloise is a venerable newspaper column (remember those) that usually covers topics such as what to do when you scorch your husband's shirt while ironing, and how to fix a squeaky hinge. But now it has hinted up comics.

The influential Young Adult Library Services Association has just released its list of Great Graphic Novels for Teens for 2012, comprising 56 titles that "meet the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teens." The last ranges from Mangaman to Troop 142 toEvolution: The Story of Life on Earth. There's also a Top Ten list as follows:

The past decade may have been the graphic novel decade but some comics observers dreamed of the crowning moment of comics PR as Oprah Winfrey holding up a copy of Gilbert Hernandez's LUBA as a selection of her book club—a Winfrey book club pick rountinely meant mllions of copies sold, so you can see why it would have been the crowning moment of mainstream acceptance for comics. Sadly, that moment never came, as Oprah canceled her syndicated show to focus on her own network. But while comics might not get that instantaneous boost, at least Oprah.com has picked a few GNs s part of an article entitled

11 Books You Never Thought You'd Read (but Will Fall in Love with Instantly):

He says they suck. PSYCH -- he did not. As part of a Canadian panel on getting kids reading, Smith joined educator Larry Swartz and author Mahtab Narsimhan to discuss comics and literacy.

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE, the Ariel Schrag-edited look at middle school comedy and shame, isn't a G-rated romp through age 13, but given its subject matter, how could it be? Instead it's an awful painful look at the most painful ages of all, told by 17 cartoonists including Schrag, Daniel Clowes, Joe Matt and more. It is potentially a little too rough for the Buckfield Junior-Senior High School Library in Dixfield, ME where one parent objected to the book being available, prompting a review by the school board:

Some people just talk about the dream -- Dean Haspiel is living it. Not only is he a cartoonist with a following, the fashion-forward originator of a whole shirtless artist look and an Emmy-winner: now he's managed to get rid of all his old junk donate his "massive hoard" of minicomics to the Library of Congress. A few months ago it was announced that the Library of Congress is now starting an SPX collection which will assemble comics from SPX exhibitors but also items they donate. The LoC is wary of having tons of other people's weird old crap dumped on them; however, the minicomics collection is just the kind of essential folk art that the LoC was created to preserve. We were totally joking about this collection being a lot of junk above, BTW. Dean is a fanatical collector (like a lot of us) but he keeps his stuff NEAT. Ignatz coordinator Eden Miller writes more about the collection:

When last we saw Archie Comics co-CEO Nancy Silberkleit, she was being slapped with a restraining order by Archie Comics and accused of some rather odd behavior. The widow of former Archie owner Michael Silberkleit, Nancy was accused of harassing Archie employees by yelling out words for genitalia at meetings and other odd stuff. Whatever the state of these internal affairs, Silberkleit is still out there using comics to teach children to read, according to a recent story about her visiting various elementary schools:

Dear god, it's so cute. We were unaware of the trend of teeny weeny libraries in little playhouses, but then we never look up from our backlit world. This one was designed by artist Colin McMullan on the classic New England library plan, and appropriately enough, it's located on a corner in Williamsburg. The collection within includes books, zines, newspapers, and comics -- in this case, Jesse Moynihan's FOLLOW ME.

Well, this is kinda a big deal. The Small Press Expo has announced they are collaborating with the lIbrary of Congress on a collection that will showcase the work of indie cartoonists. However, before you plow through your boxes of stuff to ship 'em off, only SPX guests and exhibitors can have their work considered for collection. Luckily, that covers an astonishing number of important creators.

LeVette Fuller from Shreve Memorial Library in Shreveport, Louisiana is the lucky winner of more than $20,000 for here library in the Great Graphic Novel Library Giveaway. The prize was announced at this weekends American LIbrary Association. A video was made of the winner, above. Nearly 1500 librarians entered the contest.

Librarians love cartoonists who create books that people of all ages want to actually check out of the library. And cartoonists love librarians who buy their books and shelve them in high traffic GN sections. This great love affair for our times is going even further at this year's American Library Association conference in New Orleans -- organizers are making space available for an Artist Alley for the first time.