Comics & Manga Programming in Schools and Libraries

Comics & Manga Programming in Schools and Libraries


Drive Engagement and Circulation with Comics & Manga Programming

Comics and manga’s ongoing popularity with readers of all ages is no longer a surprise to anyone paying attention, but serving those readers well requires more than simply having a well-stocked collection. From book clubs and summer reading programs, to community reads and curriculum alignment — there are myriad ways to integrate comics and manga into your library’s programming. 

Librarians Tabrizia Jones (NYPL), George Purdu (Wyandotte Public Schools), and Danielle Schafer (Chesterfield County Schools) shared a variety of useful insights on managing and promoting comics and manga collections in their school and libraries.
  1. Engaging admin, educators, and other librarians
  2. Expanding readers advisory
  3. Practical programming ideas with measurable outcomes

On-Demand Webinar



NOTE: This webinar was recorded live for LIbraryCon 2024.

Using Comics Plus for School-Wide Reads

5 Reasons to Use Comics Plus With Your School-Wide Programming

George Purdu is the Library Director for Wyandotte Public Schools in the Detroit, Michigan area. Thanks to his own appreciation for the medium, George set out to establish a school-wide reading program that included comics across the elementary, middle, and high schools in early 2024.

What spurred this large-scale initiative? With 7 years of experience as a media specialist and two years as a technology coach in the district, George was keen to help his students tap into digitally accessible content. He had found that the most requested materials at all levels throughout his district were comics and graphic novels, and that trend had increased since adding Comics Plus in 2024.
  1. Reason 1: Background knowledge matters
  2. Reason 2: Supplemental is important, too
  3. Reason 3: Student engagement is the goal
  4. Reason 4: Solid choice for diverse learning
  5. Reason 5: Great cost savings on materials
Read our full takeaways from George's presentation here.

  1. Launching a School-Wide Read Program

5 Stages of Using Graphic Novels for a School-Wide Read with Measurable Results

Danielle Schafer, the Head Librarian at Salem Church Middle Schools in the Chesterfield County Schools District in Virginia, knew that graphic novels could support visual literacy and foster creativity for her students.

Receiving buy-in from teachers and administrators to approve a school-wide reading program was a hurdle, but Danielle strongly believed graphic novels could be a great engagement tool, so she proposed her programming idea with facts and figures to support her belief, and to deliver measurable results.
  1. Stage 1: Setting Goals
  2. Stage 2: Decisioning + Buy-in
  3. Stage 3: Implementation
  4. Stage 4: Measuring Impact
  5. Stage 5: Results
Read our full takeaways from Danielle's presentation here.

Teen Programming

5 Ideas for Engaging Teens with Comics & Manga Programming in Libraries

As a Young Adult Librarian with the New York Public Library, Tabrizia Jones knew the importance of engaging her teen patrons with content they would find relevant, and comics programming entered the chat.

By leaning into comics and manga, Tabrizia was able to develop replicable programs that any librarian can use to engage readers with their Comics Plus subscription.
  1. Program 1: In-Person Events
  2. Program 2: Comics Workshops
  3. Program 3: Virtual Book Tasting
  4. Program 4: Teen Comics Chat
  5. Program 5: Manga March Madness
Read our full takeaways from Tabrizia's presentation here.

Additional Resources

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