Serier på biblioteket. En analys av serieavdelningar på tre folkbibliotek
(2025) ABMM54 20251Division of ALM, Digital Cultures and Publishing Studies
- Abstract
- This thesis seeks to bring new understanding in the handling of comics and how the implicit views of librarians can affect this. It further attempts to discuss the pros and cons in different shelving solutions as well as act as a guide to librarians seeking to organize their comics section.
The questions that was asked were:
How do libraries choose to present their comics in the physical room?
How are comics handled in the library's practice, for example in acquisition of new material and readingpromotion?
What are the pros and cons of different shelving solutions?
A total of three public libraries with different shelving solutions were selected. One shelving comics like normal books, one shelving comics in trogues and one shelving... (More) - This thesis seeks to bring new understanding in the handling of comics and how the implicit views of librarians can affect this. It further attempts to discuss the pros and cons in different shelving solutions as well as act as a guide to librarians seeking to organize their comics section.
The questions that was asked were:
How do libraries choose to present their comics in the physical room?
How are comics handled in the library's practice, for example in acquisition of new material and readingpromotion?
What are the pros and cons of different shelving solutions?
A total of three public libraries with different shelving solutions were selected. One shelving comics like normal books, one shelving comics in trogues and one shelving comics like normal books but separated into genres. The comics sections of the three libraries were analyzed using visual discourse as a tool. Library staff was then interviewed to create a deeper understanding of the libraries practices involving their comics. A combination of field theory and browsing theory was then used to analyze the gathered data.
The study showed that comics for adults were often placed in a section far into the library, two of the three libraries placed the section in close proximity or directly in the youth section. All three also put comics close to the scifi and fantasy section. In interviews the librarians stated this as a deliberate choice due to an overlap in who used the different sections. But this also led to other patrons, that did not share this overlap in interest, having a harder time finding what they were looking for. Although all five librarians that participated in the study stated that comics and especially manga were highly popular material for youth there were no active reading activities like book clubs or shared reading using comics as material. In regard to pros and cons of different shelves the different solutions fit different browsingstyles but also different sizes of libraries. A common denominator was that exposing covers was an important part of shelving. The conclusion was reached that although comics as a whole has a lot better standing in libraries now that it used to, the way it is handled still alienates some readers. Especially those who are new to the medium. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9194892
- author
- Magnusson, Julia LU
- supervisor
-
- Karen Søilen LU
- organization
- alternative title
- Comics in the library. An analysis of comic sections in three public libraries
- course
- ABMM54 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Library, Information, Comics, Graphic novels, Browsing theory, field theory
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 9194892
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-24 10:50:51
- date last changed
- 2025-06-24 10:50:51
@misc{9194892,
abstract = {{This thesis seeks to bring new understanding in the handling of comics and how the implicit views of librarians can affect this. It further attempts to discuss the pros and cons in different shelving solutions as well as act as a guide to librarians seeking to organize their comics section.
The questions that was asked were:
How do libraries choose to present their comics in the physical room?
How are comics handled in the library's practice, for example in acquisition of new material and readingpromotion?
What are the pros and cons of different shelving solutions?
A total of three public libraries with different shelving solutions were selected. One shelving comics like normal books, one shelving comics in trogues and one shelving comics like normal books but separated into genres. The comics sections of the three libraries were analyzed using visual discourse as a tool. Library staff was then interviewed to create a deeper understanding of the libraries practices involving their comics. A combination of field theory and browsing theory was then used to analyze the gathered data.
The study showed that comics for adults were often placed in a section far into the library, two of the three libraries placed the section in close proximity or directly in the youth section. All three also put comics close to the scifi and fantasy section. In interviews the librarians stated this as a deliberate choice due to an overlap in who used the different sections. But this also led to other patrons, that did not share this overlap in interest, having a harder time finding what they were looking for. Although all five librarians that participated in the study stated that comics and especially manga were highly popular material for youth there were no active reading activities like book clubs or shared reading using comics as material. In regard to pros and cons of different shelves the different solutions fit different browsingstyles but also different sizes of libraries. A common denominator was that exposing covers was an important part of shelving. The conclusion was reached that although comics as a whole has a lot better standing in libraries now that it used to, the way it is handled still alienates some readers. Especially those who are new to the medium.}},
author = {{Magnusson, Julia}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Serier på biblioteket. En analys av serieavdelningar på tre folkbibliotek}},
year = {{2025}},
}