Comics Communities: Three Case Studies (And a Party)

Will HansenAssistant Curator of Collections

David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript LibraryDuke University

Edwin and Terry Murray Comic Book Collection

65,000+ comics, 1930s-2000s

Part of Murray Pulp Culture Collection: Fanzines, RPGs, Magazines, Books, etc.

Largest institutional collection in Southeastern US, one of the largest in the country

Supplemented by additional collecting: over 75,000 comics at Duke

Community #1: Governor’s School

• NC East program based at Meredith College, Raleigh

• Five-week summer residential program

• For intellectually gifted rising high school seniors

• Robin Follet, class on Comic Books and Graphic Novels

Governor’s School Session: “Pop Quiz”

Community #2: Comics Fest

“Comics Go to College”

Community #3: NC ComiCon

The Library Party

The Library Party

Returns on Investment• Reduce intimidation factor for current and

future users

• Demonstrate that we want materials to be useful

• Increase circulation: welcome users to visit or send ???s)

• Public events = Public knowledge = Public interest

• Leverage pop culture to show why SCLs are important

• Potential donations (time, money, collections)

• Potential Friends of Library with no other connection

• Improved curatorial knowledge and understanding

• Practice with different interpretive frames