Manga in Libraries

Manga, which encompasses comics originating from Japan, is treasured by readers of all ages. And because of its emotional storytelling, breathtaking artwork, and relatable and transformative stories about humanity, manga is especially popular with teens. Whether you provide reference services and readers’ advisory, handle programming, or teach in the classroom, this book from manga expert Rudes will show you how to connect young readers to manga for entertainment, empowerment, and literacy. You will learn   a brief history of Japanese visual storytelling, the birth and rise of manga, and an overview of its astonishing variety of genres and audiences; helpful information about key manga publishers’ age rating systems and content warnings; collection development questions to consider along with suggested titles and authors for building a core collection; advice on countering book challenges and censorship through effective policies and advocacy; why diverse and inclusive representation in manga matters, illustrated through interviews with library workers and experts from the field, complete with guidance on appropriate manga titles for LGBTQAI+ teens, BIPOC readers, and other diverse populations; how to use manga to foster teens' social-emotional learning (SEL), with suggested manga that connect with SEL and sample discussion questions; ways to engage teens through manga book clubs, anime watch parties, teen-led workshops, and other programming; examples of lesson plans and activities for teaching with manga in libraries and classrooms; and links to webinars, book lists, and additional resources for getting up to speed and staying current with manga.

Jillian Rudes (she/her) is the school librarian at a grade 6-12 public school in New York City. She is the Japanese culture and manga librarian for the New York City Department of Education, as well as the founder of Manga in Libraries, a company which provides readers' advisory lists and hosts webinars, panels, and workshops. She received the American Association of School Librarians' (AASL) Collaborative School Library Award in 2020 and the American Library Association's (ALA) Scholastic Library Publishing Award in 2022. She was also deemed the "Manga Maven" by Library Journal and was selected as a Library Journal Mover & Shaker in 2022. Jillian has presented on manga at New York Comic Con, San Diego Comic Con, ALA's Annual Conference, the International Association of School Librarianship's Annual Conference, and more.