Establishing an elementary graphic novel collection: An analysis of the most frequently utilized collection development resources

by Gill, Jessica H

A survey of 190 North Carolina elementary school media centers was conducted to determine which collection development tools media specialists utilize when they begin to establish a graphic novel collection, and which tools they find to be most effective. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 15 media specialists who had utilized collection development tools in order to find out further information regarding the usefulness of particular tools, those which were not useful, as well as collection development needs specific to the area of elementary school-level graphic novels.

Analysis of the survey data revealed that professional review journals, recommendations from media specialists and recommended title lists are the most often used tools, while recommendations from comic book stores, library science professors, and public librarians are least popular. Analysis of the follow-up interviews found that Titlewave and School Library Journal were the most commonly utilized.