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Introduction:
The question of where in the information lexicon graphic narratives are located is inherent in the argument over how graphic literatures should be viewed by libraries. The word/image hybridity of graphic narratives confronts the boundaries of orthodox classification, bringing to the conversation issues of immediate importance in an environment of vastly changing information mediums. The questions graphic narratives suggest must be addressed by the library community before these works can be assigned a substantial and effective role in the information environment. Graphic narrative, a vexed term itself 1, has in the past been considered a lowbrow (Chute 452) form of pop culture entertainment and has not been seen as a valid information source worthy of library collections. With the increasing popularity as well as the increasing diversification of graphic narrative forms libraries and librarians can no longer overlook the various aspects of this previously ignored and marginalized medium. Out of the multiple diverging viewpoints concerning the addition of graphic novels to a library collection, there is a predominant unresolved issue ready to erupt. Comics are most often referred to strictly in terms of youth literacy and are suggested as being collected only as pleasure reading for young adults and children. The opposing view is that although comics and graphic novels are sometimes written for young audiences they are also a valid expression of advanced literary themes and often are not simply fiction but can be in the form of any number of genres outside of the merely fictive realm. In this paper I seek to review the currently held status of graphic narrative as a relevant medium which shapes our information behavior in and out of libraries by exploring the opposing opinions of graphic narrative circumscribed as low level reading and its possible relevance as an academically respected literary medium.

Graphic Narrative Categorized as Remedial Reading and Youth Fiction:

Graphic novels and comics are many different things to many different people. Comics and graphic novels are mainly considered as tools useful for attracting young adults into the library, where they can then find more valuable literature and more trustworthy forms of nonfiction. This perspective is limiting, yet worthy of attention for the fact that it is so widely held and is one possible cause of the recent popularity of graphic literature collections in libraries, especially school libraries. In the past libraries havent been welcoming to comics as a medium. According to William T. Fee: Librarians were there from the beginnings of the form in the early 1930s with mostly negative opinions on comics and their role in the Seduction of the Innocent. Comics were blamed for everything from juvenile delinquency to destroying childrens eyesight. And many members of our profession tossed their hats in the ring and wrote articles attacking the so-called comics from their causing deep-thought daydreaming to their influences on the child born in sordid surroundings. (Fee 175). This statement illustrates the contentious nature of the graphic medium, even among librarians, since its relative incipience as a standardized form, in regards to its being judged mainly based on the impression of its visual nature
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Because graphic narrative as a medium is so difficult to label due to the ambiguity of the form and the words used to describe it, and since each article written about it refers to it using different terms, I will be referring throughout this paper to comics, graphic narrative, graphic literatures, graphic novels and graphic material interchangeably to refer to what Scott McCloud labels as comics and defines as: juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence, intended to convey information and/or produce an aesthetic response in the viewer.(McCloud 9)

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as a naturally corrupting influence despite its content. Fortunately times have changed for comics and other graphic narratives due in part to the proliferation of diverse information mediums as exemplified in new information technologies that reach beyond text to incorporate diversified means of communication such as image and sound. Current information technologies have brought wider acceptance of new materials that are not entirely text based, although doubts still remain among many as to the ability of these materials to provide a level of quality of information comparable to the traditional modes. Graphic novels and comics are no longer vilified as being a degenerate medium and are commonly accepted and promoted in libraries but their acceptance comes with a price: safe classification stripped of the power to interrogate the boundaries of orthodox mediums and earn their place as valuable literature. They need to be seen as innocuously homogenous in order to be widely accepted as a part of the current information environment so they can be easily classified into one genre. Graphic narratives are frequently portrayed as little more than great interest builders when added to collections but it is rarely understood from what they garner their success. In her article about developing a graphic novel collection for a high school library, Alison Ching extols the values of adding comics to a young adult collection by quoting such statistics as: Currently we have 372 graphic novels, which account for 1.5 percent of our collection. As of late March we have had 3,158 graphic novel circulations during the 2004-2005 school year, accounting for a whopping 17.7 percent of our total circs during that time. In terms of percentage, this makes graphic novels our top circulating section, coming out far ahead of the next 3 runnersup(Ching 19). Shortly after this statement she then treats graphic novels as little more than an interesting stop o n the way to more valid literary aims by saying: While I think it would be unfortunate for kids to read only manga and other graphic novels, just as it would be unfortunate for the m to read only mystery or fantasy or romance, I believe graphic novels represent an excellent opportunity to get students hooked on the written word, which can only be a good thing in the end." (Ching 19). In implying that using comics to attract students to literature will come out all right in the end she is showing the usual bias against the medium as being a means to a more advanced end and not an end in itself. Her statement can be read as saying that if it is necessary to use comics to get students to read other things then maybe they are worth collecting, if only for this purpose. In her use of the phrase written word she betrays a common misreading of the language of comics and an assumption that the medium is just a continuation of print with illustrations added. This statement summarizes the standard opinion of librarians towards graphic narrative in general and especially in regards to youth. Even in an article describing librarians recent involvement in New York Comic Con, an industry conference, it is mentioned that panelists bemoaned that many fellow librarians still view anything in a graphic format as kid stuff. (Kim 15). This is from a panel composed entirely of librarians. Comics are generally held to be valuable only as entertainment that has an added bonus of building literacy skills which can then be used for more intellectual literary endeavors. While this is a good justification for a comics collection and is an aspect of comics collections that should be taken seriously by libraries and used to the advantage of the library to meet the needs and expectations of its patrons, it is not the only use for comics in a library environment. Keith McPherson writes that: The increased presence of graphic literature in the school library is also due to a change in the genres content and reputation. In the past, graphic literature was labeled trash or pulp fiction and stereotyped as being either sexually explicit or filled with gore, or both. In the past 10 years, however, this perception has been reversed by the confluence of many different factors(67). He explains the rise in popularity of graphic literature among school libraries:

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One reason for this change is due to educators increasing awareness that authentic literacy acquisition is much more complex an endeavor than just learning to read and write printed text. Students learn to be literate through multiple paths using multiple modalities. Graphic literature is an example of a literacy resource in which students must concurrently read text and graphics (67) In mentioning literacy acquisition we are reminded that comics and graphic narrative can be a very useful tool for schools and communities in raising literary awareness and an effective method in literacy education, further justifying their collection and circulation in libraries. Through the arguments on comics we are forced to recognize the continually changing information landscape in noting that the typical book comprised entirely of printed words can no longer be seen as the only form useful in a library for disseminating information. In fact its dominance is increasingly challenged by emerging mediums, either newly developed or previously considered as having no place in the library, such as comics and graphic novels. Gretchen Schwarz describes the use of graphic narratives with the goal of raising awareness of the necessity of using multiple mediums as information sources rather than the traditional reliance on books: Increasingly, scholars and teachers realize that in a media-dominated society, one traditional literacy-reading and writing of print-is no longer sufficient. Todays young people also have to read films, TV shows, magazines, and Web sites. Both practical information and the stories of our culture come from many media, especially those made possible by current technology. (59). Concurrent with this argument is her statement that, For students who no longer deal with pure word texts in their daily lives, multiple literacies are a necessity.(63). The definition of reading as something done only with words must be reexamined and reformatted to include the process of gleaning information from different mediums. Reading is a process, not a book on a shelf. Each medium is read using its own system and tools. Information behaviors are rapidly changing to meet the different needs of a society entrenched in information, gathered through a multiplicity of mediums. Although we still use most of our older information resources we are adding to and replacing some of these with new modes and forms of information expression which cannot be classified or understood in the old ways. Information resources and technologies are adapting to and creating an ever growing demand and require new models on which to base our basic concepts of information. The article Graphic Novels for Children starts off on a positive note stating that Graphic novels are growing in popularity, with phenomenal circulation rates. (ALSC 49) . The article then describes some positive attributes of collecting graphic novels such as by teaching the visual literacy of graphic novels, we can provide children with critical skills needed to filter manipulative, multimedia messages. (ALSC 50). As well as explaining the need for diverse forms of information expression one educator argues that the graphic novel is not only an alternative to other visual media, it is essential for a literate democracy because it allows for real diversity by presenting alternative views.(ALSC 50). Yet while expounding the virtues of graphic novels as paths towards better literacy the article is alternately criticizing their literary value by stating that, Although comic book reading is at least as beneficial as other reading, we know graphic novels are not here to replace text-based book reading but rather to enhance it. Comic book readers often move on to more serious reading and have positive attitudes toward reading. (ALSC 50). While complementing graphic narrative on its ability to interest novice or low-level readers these statements have an adverse effect in which they simultaneously justify and belittle graphic narrative as a form of literature and as an information source. Graphic narratives are not meant to replace other information mediums but they are not merely enhancements in the way illustrations enhance some texts. Graphic narratives treat subjects as serious as any other type of literature or medium including the Holocaust, racism, genocide, and political dictatorship. Viewing comics as less serious or less effective in their treatment of serious themes because of their illustrations is a severely

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limiting view which doesnt take into account the possibility, through their combination of illustration and text, of comics being able to better illustrate aspects often un-relatable through text alone. In her article about libraries collecting Spanish-language comics Lucia Cedeira Serantes states that Since Art Spiegelmans Maus won the Pulitzer in 1992, comic art seems to be winning respect and taking the place it deserves in the cultural world, including libraries. Graphic novels and comic books have proven helpful in bringing young patrons to libraries and keeping them inside!(46). This statement is a positive comment on the use libraries can have for collecting graphic literatures but in the context of the current issue it can be seen as illustrating graphic narratives as merely lures to attract young people to libraries where they can then be exposed to more intellectually demanding and therefore more important forms. The challenge to this attitude would be to consider the image that is portrayed of graphic literatures by libraries when they are not taken seriously as a literary medium but are instead relegated to the realm of pop culture and youth collections. When a medium is portrayed in this way through respected institutions like libraries it eventually becomes difficult to move past the established image. Now that graphic novels are beginning to come into their own as part of library collections it is imperative to consider their classification and use so as not to permanently prescribe to them an image which is inaccurate. Not to imply that graphic literatures arent important examples of pop culture or that they arent increasingly necessary aspects of any youth collection, just that limiting them to only this in the general attitude of libraries and in their collections can be damaging. It is helpful to praise the effect graphic narratives have on libraries of bringing in reluctant readers such as young people but it is also necessary to frame these statements in a context in which graphic narratives are not portrayed only as a sort of billboard for reading but as a valid form of information or the risk is run of marginalizing a medium by banishing it entirely to less serious realms than those in which it is equipped to handle, not only in the collection of a library itself but in the minds of patrons and the community as well. In a similar vein, an article on the rising popularity of graphic narratives in libraries in the New York Times starts off with the impressive statistic: The Queens Library, the countrys largest by circulation, stocks thousands of manga volumes. At least 40 percent are checked out at any given time, and the most popular are taken out 60 times in two years before they fell apart.. (Barnard 3). This is then needlessly justified by a statement such as Much like urban fiction and romance novels, manga has been embraced by librarians who say their job is not to judge what people read, but to give them what they want, engage them and later, perhaps, suggest other genres.(Barnard 3). On the surface this is a positive interpretation of the possibilities of graphic narratives in that it is saying they are useful to libraries in building community use and also in the sense in which it is pointing out that it is not the job of the librarian to judge the literary validity of a medium only to objectively provide for the community what it requires. But inherent in this remark about judgment is the implication that there is something about graphic narrative which begs judging as a less than ideal form of literary pursuit. In mentioning that librarians can later introduce other genres it suggests that graphic narrative can only be seen as a sort of introduction to reading or a literary jumping off point rather than a as a valid self-contained literary medium. I can think of no other medium which is so often referred to simply as gateway through which one can pass to more productive uses of information and library resources. It is not often advertised that computers will bring in patrons who will then decide to better allocate their time to the more valid information behavior of reading. Other mediums are accepted for the valuable resources which they are, not simply as paths to text-based forms. All mediums can serve as starting points leading to new mediums. This is not the realm only of comics and also not its sole use. In using the terminology of genre to describe graphic narratives, the form is further limited by forcing all forms of graphic narrative into the same category. The comics medium cannot rightly be referred to as a genre because it is a medium which encompasses multiple genres. Even though the article is more specifically referring to manga, the classification of genre still is overly simplistic because within manga itself multiple genres can be located and defined. As a further point in this debate we can reference an article on graphic novel collections in academic libraries as stating that one may ask whether graphic novels are really novels or how they can be considered together as one genre The term graphic novel may be better viewed as a label for a particular format

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rather than representative of a single specific genre.(OEnglish 174). A few among the myriad examples of the diversity of graphic literature genres are Marjane Satrapis Persepolis as autobiography, Art Speigelmans Maus as historic memoir, Still I Rise by Roland Owen Laird and Elihu Bey as a history of African Americans in the U.S. since 1619, Genesis by R. Crumb as a visual representation of the book of Genesis, and Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud as a possible example of literary theory and/or information theory. Also to be considered are the Beginners Documentary Comic Books and other such series which are graphic representations geared toward adult understanding of advanced philosophical, literary and scientific topics. To further validate this stance we can quote an article about understanding what exactly graphic novels are: Another misconception is that graphic novels and comics are a genre of literature. Westerns, romances, science fiction, and fantasy are genres. All-American Western, All True Romance, Star Trek, and Sandman are comics that feature each of these genres, respectively.(Carter 69). These are necessary points to consider when cataloging graphic materials in a library. According to the article about graphic novels in academic libraries the most common preference when cataloging graphic novels and comics is to group all materials together (OEnglish 176). This seems an obvious choice when trying to make these materials most accessible and also noting their inherent benefits as a browse-able medium due to their pictorial nature. However, the article also states that simply classing graphic novels with items about cartoons and /or cartooning inadequately describes the unique complexities of these items.(OEnglish 176). Because of the varied genres dealt with by the graphic narrative form it is difficult to divine the best possible method for classification in a library. The questions must be asked about how best to locate graphic narratives in a collection so they can not only be found by patrons specifically seeking them but can also be encountered by those who hadnt previously considered their usefulness. While certainly no one is arguing against the collecting of graphic literatures in libraries and the general mood seems to be one of excitement and promotion for this relatively newly popularized medium, it is necessary to look a little deeper into the methods and reasoning for these collections to understand if the form is being misinterpreted or if certain less obvious aspects are being overlooked. Clearly graphic narratives have become increasingly popular over the last few years and show no signs of going away as evidenced by the fact that this year the ALA added the first-ever Graphic Novel Panel during their 2010 annual conference and by the fact that more and more resources are becoming available to librarians to help them understand the multifaceted aspects of collecting in the graphic medium. In an article from 2007 it notes Libraries account for ten percent of all graphic novel sales, equaling roughly $30 million annually (Kim 15). Graphic narratives seem to be one of the emerging mediums leading the change of the information environment in regards to libraries and library collections, which can only be viewed as a positive development in the evolution of this medium. Librarians seem to be enthusiastically championing their cause even if they havent yet arrived at the desired level of understanding of this diverse form, which is not entirely the fault of the librarians as I will illustrate later the complications of classifying a form that can encompass so many genres and combines aspects from multiple mediums.

Graphic Narrative as a Medium Useful in Academic Study:

The obverse side of the view of comics as childrens literature is the position that graphic narratives are not relevant only for youth and remedial literacy development, but are useful in academic libraries and in collections geared not only towards entertainment. Comics is becoming a new topic of study in many Communications and English programs at universities across the country. The University of Florida has a comics studies program within

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its English department and even publishes an online comics journal for the scholarly analysis of comics and graphic mediums combining image and text, hence the title ImageText. At Washington State University comics are also used as texts within the English program (OEnglish 174). Comics Arts Conference is a conference within ComicCon created to discuss scholarly aspects of comics such as criticism and historical impact set up by Randy Duncan who also co-authors a comics textbook for use in university programs with Matthew J. Smith. Both authors use the book to teach comics at their respective universities. In many disciplines comics are becoming accepted as important texts, not only useful but necessary in studying diverse views of events and aspects of cultures. They are no longer thought of by the academy as only entertainment for the masses but regarded as a long underappreciated medium that has a substantial location within the university environment. As Leslie Bussert contends: Comic books and graphic novels are becoming two of the most pervasive and influential media forms of popular culture. Placed within the context of changing society, comic books and graphic novels entertain and educate, but they have also been instrumental in documenting and interpreting social, historical, and current events. (Bussert 103). Academic librarians should have an understanding of the increasing need of their libraries for collecting graphic novels and comics as materials necessary for course requirements. They need to understand the difference between collecting them as entertainment and as information resources and what this means for the library in terms of the widening of perspective of relevant information sources and mediums. Comics in academic libraries are used as course material and are required by professors to be available for research in the university library. According William T. Fee: These courses need librarians to back them up. After all, it is the librarians who make the items accessible, and if a professor cannot find the comic books for a course that course will be more than slightly ineffectual. (175). Librarians can support the cause of comics in their libraries and universities by making sure they are provided for students and faculty requiring them for scholarly research. Bussert maintains: Scholarship and research surrounding comic books and graphic novels are growing. Many in the fields of history, sociology, and arts and literatures realize the unique and valuable insight inherent in studying comic books and graphic novels. Thus, new collections and resources are being created and developed to meet the needs of fans, collectors, scholars, and researchers alike. (Bussert 103) Academic libraries need to develop serious collections of graphic narrative for use among professors as well as students. Of course graphic narrative collection in academic and public libraries also neednt be strictly for academic pursuits but can also be used to augment a recreational reading collection. It is only when they are pigeonholed as being only recreational fiction that the problems arise. It can be hard for a student as well as a professors colleagues to take a class seriously when the text is located in the recreational reading or youth materials section, when the class is not a youth literature class. As maintained by OEnglish: Teaching faculty in higher education are increasingly using graphic novels in the classroom as well as studying them as academic fodder in their own right. Nevertheless, many faculty members retain antiquated notions of graphic novels based on their own past exposure to comic books in their youth, or are unaware of them at all(OEnglish 178) Comics are slowly coming into acceptance at the university level and can use the help of informed academic librarians to make sure they have the proper status in the library.

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Many comics and graphic novels deal with adult themes and adult issues, and while not always inappropriate for youth reading are designed specifically to treat subjects generally not fo und in youth collections. When relegating graphic narrative to the realm of youth interest censorship issues are unnecessarily raised. This is illustrated by a recent fiasco concerning a public library in Kentucky, where a copy of The Black Dossier by Alan Moore was prevented from being checked out to a child by some of the librarians. While this particular graphic novel is very graphic in more than one sense of the word this particular instance brings to the surface the issue of censorship of a particular medium based on preconceived notions of its place in the library. There are probably many other books and other library materials presenting the same subjects as this book but since graphic narrative is assumed to be a child oriented medium it is often censored to an excessive degree when it is surprisingly discovered that not all graphic narratives are written for youth audiences. When we have an image of comics as being childish it cant help but shock us when we see depictions of adult situations within its pages. Materials we wouldnt think twice about when encountered in adult sections can be alarming when seen through preconceived notions of being presented in a child oriented medium. This issue goes deeper than shelving adult graphic materials and youth graphic materials separately. Works by Alan Moore wouldnt usually be shelved in a youth section but it doesnt matter as long as we subscribe to the belief that illustrated materials are youth oriented. Comics are often censored in disproportion to other works because of their graphic depictions rather that in considering the work as a whole as would normally be done with a more traditional book. Graphic narrative can be censored based on the illustrations of one panel divorced entirely from the content of the rest of the narrative which is a problem inherent in the graphic form and one which begs further consideration by libraries and communities. One of the main issues with graphic narratives in public libraries is their sometimes adult nature coming into conflict with their position as a youth genre. This would not be so much of a problem if comics werent so often presented as a medium designed mainly for children but were accepted as a medium designed for no one particular audience but used across any number of genres to treat almost any topic imaginable. If the patrons of a library can be better served by a graphic narrative collection the responsibility may be with librarians to make sure the need is met even if it is necessary to educate library users about the benefits of graphic narratives and promote them among staff members who would normally not request such items. It is obvious that graphic novels are currently a boon to libraries of all types and are greatly beneficial when added to collections not just as attractors for reluctant readers but as a medium used for serious academic consideration.

Comics as literature?:

What are comics? Are they valid information sources or do they have nothing to offer other than pleasure? Are they literature or art or a hybrid of the two? These questions must be addressed by the information community before graphic narratives can be assigned a substantial role in the information environment. Aaron Meskin asserts of graphic novels: They are after all, typically full of text, commonly found in bookshops where they are often sold in book form under the Graphic Novel heading, appreciated (at least in part) by means of reading, taught in literature classes, occasionally discussed in academic journals devoted to literature, and often reviewed in the book review sections of newspapers and magazines. (Meskin 219) This only scratches the surface. To really grasp the intricacies of the medium in order to better understand its place in the library and information world we need to more deeply consider its combination of two of the most basic formats of information dissemination into one distinct medium. Once we address this issue we will better understand the importance of correctly locating the graphic narrative medium in the information environment and be

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able to maximize its utility and to prevent the medium from further marginalization through lack of understanding and preconceived notions. Graphic narrative cannot be simply classified as text or as art on the basis of containing words or illustrations. Hillary Chute remarks The field hasnt yet grasped its object or properly posed its project. To explore todays comics we need to go beyond pre-established rubrics: we have to reexamine the categories of fiction, narrative, and historicity.(452) Even within the comics field itself there is no consensus on just what comics are and where they belong in the information landscape. Meskin states that there are dissenting views both within the comics community and outside of it. Some comics theorists and practitioners argue that it is a mistake to treat comics as literature. (223) He gives examples of the two opposing views from two of the most preeminent comics authorities when he writes about Alan Moore, probably the most famous graphic novelist, and Will Eisner, the father of the graphic novel. He quotes Alan Moore as describing the error of comparing comics with literature such as Moby Dick: Rather than seizing upon the superficial similarities between comics and films or comics and books in the hope that some of the respectability of those media will rub off upon us, wouldnt it be more constructive to focus our attention upon those ideals where comics are special and unique?(Meskin 223) Meskin culls the opposing argument from Will Eisner in saying that in every sense, this misnamed form of reading is entitled to be regarded as literature because the images are employed as language.(Meskin 223) This brings up a recurring theme: how to reconcile the classificatory differences of two distinct forms inextricably combined in one medium and the impending question of which is the predominating method or if neither predominates then how can graphic narrative be labeled as an information source in general and especially in a library environment where everything must be classified. The images in graphic narrative are not merely illustrations of the themes described in the text they are combined with the text to form an entirely new language or way of communicating that cant be strictly classified within either previous form. The text of graphic narrative never obviates the images and vice versa. Hillary Chute lists a possible definition of comics as a hybrid word-and-image form in which two narrative tracks, one verbal and one visual, register temporality spatially. (Chute 452) Where the definition of comics as a hybrid of two mediums is accurate and relevant it is simplistic in its thinking in that comics have evolved past a hybridization status to become a language of their own. Although always a mixture of text and images our view of comics must also evolve to see them as a totally unique and viable form of communication. For example when reading The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb it is impossible to take from it the same thing as through a reading of the book of Genesis as only text. Even though R. Crumb uses the exact text of the book, word for word, when he combines the text and images he is using a new language altogether and he is in a sense rewriting the book. Writers in the field are making headway in developing a theoretical language in which we can read the language of comics. The System of Comics by Thierry Groensteen which develops a semiotics of comics is one example among many recently published works on how to read comics as a language. Until our definitions of comics can be more adequately understood they cannot be efficiently cataloged in our information systems. Without an exact understanding of what exactly an information professional is dealing with in terms of form, medium and content an item can never be fully utilized and meet its potential as an information source. Information professionals have a responsibility to understand all modes of communication used to exchange information inside and outside of a library environment. They should be at the forefront of thinking on new ways in which information can be translated and used in society and how that in turn can then be used in the library. Traditional views of information mediums should be questioned first and foremost by those responsible for and in control of access to and dissemination of the mediums. If a specific medium is allowed to become marginalized due to lack of understanding by information professionals it can have wide-reaching effects on society as a whole and the modes used to share information.

Conclusion:
Comics are often viewed as only youth materials or recreational reading while substantial evidence supports the literary merit of the medium. Graphic narrative is becoming an increasingly important part of library collections, not just in youth collections and school media centers, but in public and academic libraries as well. Libraries are tantamount in the politics of reading and information dissemination and as so they play a un-ignorable role in establishing the credit of this medium. As information professionals our ideas of comics need to be reevaluated to prevent the continued marginalization of the medium. In this process we need to question what exactly we are looking for from our information resources and why we choose specific sources for specific information when there are others that work equally as well. Continuing the dialogue about graphic novels will force libraries to re-asses how they affect the information behaviors of their patrons. By gaining a better understanding of the comics medium and its unique mode of communication we can better gain insight into all forms of information as we move away from books and text with the proliferation of new information technologies. Like comics each medium has its own language and teaches its own version of reading using its own tools inherent in its form. Reading extends beyond the written word to the spaces between and around the words on the page as well as past the page and into the medium itself. In order to come to a more comprehensive understanding of information behavior it is necessary to look past traditional means to new and underutilized mediums. Information needs are met using many different mediums so in deciding to confine comics to the area of youth collections and recreational reading we are limiting information behaviors to a standardized traditional format.

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Works Consulted Barnard, Anne, and Robert Gebeloff. "At Queens Libraries, a Passion for Japanese Comics Endures." New York Times 17 May 2010: 21. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Sept. 2010. Bussert, Leslie. "Comic books and graphic novels." College & Research Libraries News 66.2 (2005): 103-113. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Sept. 2010 Ching, Alison. "Holy Reading Revolution, Batman!." Young Adult Library Services 3.4 (2005): 19-21. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 17 Sept. 2010. Chute, Hillary. "Comics as Literature? Reading Graphic Narrative." PMLA: Publications of the Modern Language Association of America 123.2 (2008): 452-465. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Sept. 2010. Fee, William T.. "Do You Have Any Ditko?: Comic Books, MARC, FRBR and Findability." Serials Review 34.3 (2008): 175-89. Library Lit & Inf Full Text. Web. 16 Sep. 2010. Kim, Ann, and Michael Rogers. "Librarians Out Front at Comic Con." Library Journal (1976) 132.6 (2007): 15. Library Lit & Inf Full Text. Web. 16 Sep. 2010. McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. New York: HarperPerennial, 1994. Print. McPherson, Keith. "Graphic Literacy." Teacher Librarian 33.4 (2006): 67-9. Library Lit & Inf Full Text. Web. 16 Sep. 2010. Meskin, Aaron. "Comics as Literature?." British Journal of Aesthetics 49.3 (2009): 219-239. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Sept. 2010. O'English, Lorena, J. Gregory Matthews, and Elizabeth Blakesley Lindsay. "Graphic Novels in Academic Libraries: From Maus to Manga and Beyond." Journal of Academic Librarianship 32.2 (2006): 173-182. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Sept. 2010. Schwarz, Grethchen. Expanding Literacies through Graphic Novels. The English Journal 95. 6 (2006): 58-64. JSTOR. Web. 16 Sep. 2010. Serantes, Lucia Cedeira. "Es Un Pjaro? Es un Avin? ... Es Supermn! Spanish Comics for American Libraries." Young Adult Library Services 3.4 (2005): 46-8. Library Lit & Inf Full Text. Web. 17 Sep. 2010. "Graphic Novels for Children Should They Be Considered Literature?." Children & Libraries: The Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children 4.3 (2006): 49-51. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 17 Sept. 2010 Booklist kicks off the fall and school year with timely new content. ALA News. American Libraries Magazine. ALA. 09/07/2010. 16 Sep. 2010 . http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/news/11252009/kentuckians-take-sides-about-graphic-nature-graphic-novel

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