Graphic Novels Cataloged by a Fangirl

Victoria Greenwell, Technical Services Librarian Manager, Paul Sawyier Public Library Kristin Anderson, Technical Services Acquisitions Assistant, Paul Sawyier Public Library Robert Collins, Technical Services Librarian Assistant, Paul Sawyier Public Library Before becoming a cataloger, I was immersed in the industry of comic books. Armed with my knowledge of what’s important to the creators as well as the readers of comic books, my team and I have reinvented how our library classifies graphic novels. From creating new cutters to reassigning MARC fields, to an expanded use of RDA relators, we have a graphic novel collection that is tailored to have expanded access to our patrons. Beginning with a change to the call number, we have enabled our collection to look similar to how the graphic novels are displayed in popular book stores, such as Barnes and Noble. This enables readers to find books featuring the same characters or the same story line. Using RDA relators, we’ve expanded the contributions that some creators have made, besides writer and illustrator. We’ve also practically eliminated the presence of the 100 field, putting writers on equal level as pencillers, inkers and cover artists. With the continuing rise of comic book movies and television programs, providing the best access to our graphic novel collection has become paramount. We hope that the changes we’ve made have expanded access points and simplified the task of finding just what the reader wants