Image Comics has signed up with LibraryPass, Inc. to make their digital catalog available in libraries and schools through Comics Plus.
Comics Plus is a digital comics distribution service that has been around in various guises for a while. LibraryPass is their library focused service and offers titles from a variety of publishers including ABDO, Andrews McMeel, BOOM! Studios, Capstone, Dark Horse, Europe Comics, Fantagraphics, Graphic Mundi, Humanoids, IDW, Kodansha, Image Comics, Lerner, Manga Classics, Papercutz, Tokyopop, UDON Entertainment, Yen Press.
LibraryPass offers digital lending on a Netflix model – libraries sign up and get a catalog of titles. It’s an alternative to other services such as Overdrive and Hoopla which can be prohibitively expensive for libraries despite the nature of digital lending. For instance, Overdrive treats a digital copy as a physical one and a new “copy” must be purchased after a certain number of check outs.
So although this doesn’t sound like a big deal, it’s very good news for all concerned.
“Image Comics is thrilled to partner with LibraryPass in bringing our diverse catalog of comics and graphic novels to libraries and schools across the nation,” said Chloe Ramos, Image Comics’ Book Market & Library Sales Manager in a statement. “We were particularly excited about offering our books through Comics Plus, because of its innovative unlimited access model, which we feel is the future of equitable digital library circulation. We’ve long said that comics are for everybody and with LibraryPass, we can really bring everybody comics, with no waiting and no hold lists!”
“We are excited to welcome Image Comics to the ‘Read All The Comics’ family,” said Guy LeCharles Gonzalez, LibraryPass’ Chief Content Officer in his own statement. “They’re an innovative publisher with a compelling backlist that includes some of our most requested series and creators, and our readers will be thrilled to be able to read them on Comics Plus.”
Notable series from Image Comics now available on Comics Plus include Invincible, Kick- Ass, Monstress, Saga, and The Walking Dead, with more to be added in the months ahead.
Image Comics titles have been available digitally to libraries via the Hoopla app for several years now. As of this writing Image books are still up on Hoopla, so it’s unclear how this new deal with Comics Plus might impact their availability on the other platform, if at all.
For more information about Comics Plus sign up for a FREE demo at comicsplusapp.com, follow on LinkedIn, or contact [email protected].
