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Graphic novels have lately become popular among students, according to a survey. It has successfully invaded 90% of the school libraries, with the highest in elementary schools. Amidst the trending genres, manga tops the list, making about 43% of high school graphic novel purchases.
An important thing to note here is that despite the backlashes from parents and teachers, the trend has been quite consistent. According to the study, about 59% of librarians in the school have reported disagreement from teachers and parents about graphic novels. The reason? They didn’t think it was considered under real books.
The book demand, despite the challenges, has been high from the student’s side. This has ensured the presence of graphic novels in the school library. About 531 school librarians and 330 public librarians have kept the graphic novels available for the students. Also, 92% of them keep the books in their section, so it’s easy to locate.
Readers who are into graphic novels prefer to read the books in the same format. That’s why 90% of the public librarians and 83% of the school librarians ask readers to try out graphic novels, especially if they struggle to read. It’s also recommended to English language learners by 57% of the public and 69% of school librarians.
Depending on the age group, both teenagers and younger kids are into reading graphic novels. While about 53% of younger kids are more into humor, 64% of teenagers are into manga. Among the graphic novel stories available in the library, the popular ones include names like Dog Man, Baby-Sitters Club, and Amulet. As far as manga is concerned, names like Naruto, My Hero Academia, and Pokemon tops the list.
About 84% of public librarians are known for providing activities like cosplays or “make your own graphic novels” for the students. Graphic novels, too, are used in curricula, with books like Maus, Persepolis, and To Kill a Mockingbird available in many schools.
Genres like manga are quite popular among US kids. According to the survey respondents, including public/school libraries, 15% said that more than half of the graphic novels bought by the users were from the manga genre. The numbers increase with the school levels, with 7% of manga titles in elementary school, 28% in middle school, and 43% in high schools.
The objections to graphic novels were quite consistent, with 68% considering them as not real books. Also, there were complaints by 55% of teachers and 48% of parents.
What did libraries do to resolve these challenges? About 74% of public libraries and 59% of school libraries did not take steps to resolve these challenges. Out of the rest, 19% of schools stopped purchasing controversial books. The remaining 11% removed titles such as Fun Home and The Handmaid’s Tale.
Librarians also have different approaches to these challenges. While for some, the challenged books are a great “suggested purchase” list, others are cautious as to what they keep in the libraries.
To read more about the survey, check out their data on the official website.
Navkiran Dhaliwal is a seasoned content writer with 10+ years of experience. When she's not writing, she can be found cooking up a storm or spending time with her dog, Rain.
