Sunday, November 9

6:00 to 7:15 pm

Location:  TBA

Dinner & Discussion - The Conference Gets Graphic

In the spirit of the 2008 Conference’s theme, “Pennsylvania Libraries: Leading for Life,” the conference committee has taken a bold new detour for its reading event. Instead of one print-only book, the committee invites you to read any or all of the following graphic novels:

• Amelia Rules: Volume 4, When the Past is Present, by Jimmy Gownley. Gownley, the illustrator of this popular series and Harrisburg resident, tells about the exploits of Amelia and her friends as they endure the daily challenges of growing up.
• Persopolis and Persopolis 2, by Marjane Satrapi who presents a coming-of-age memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic fundamentalism revolution of 1979
• Cancer Vixen, by Marisa Acocella Marchetto who tells about her battle with breast cancer as a young woman
• Students for a Democratic Society, by Harvey Pekar, and others, who recounts the story of this pro-civil rights, anti-Vietnam War organization during the 1960s.

Why Graphic Novels?

Graphic novels have been around since the 1970s but have only recently been recognized as a unique genre, much more complex than the comic books from which they evolved. Libraries account for ten percent of their $30 million annual sales. For years, graphic novels have been sold in specialty stores in urban areas but with Internet sales and several independent publishers jumping on the graphic novel bandwagon, the industry has boomed and their circulation has climbed at public libraries.

Carrie Turner, PaLA second vice president and conference chair, says, “these four titles will give readers an appreciation of the complexity of graphic novels and the variety of humorous, serious, and historical issues with which they deal.” Author Jodi Picoult and screenwriter Joss Whedon, creator of the long running TV show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, have used graphic novel techniques with great success.

Effective graphic novels run from 50-300 pages and must include complex but sparse writing that elicits emotional responses from readers along with often striking visuals that retain the reader’s interest. Allyson Lyga, co-author of Graphic Novels in Your Media Center: A Definitive Guide, believes that graphic novels will make reluctant readers eager ones and that they demand more attention from the reader than conventional print books. Graphic novels are regularly reviewed in School Library Journal, Library Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly.

The 2008 PaLA Conference Committee invites you to experience some of the best graphic novels, the ones that have been popular, some for several years, at your local public library.

Submitted by Karl Helicher, Co-Chair Publicity Committee