Purpose
The Graphic Novel Interest Group (GNIG) is an informal workgroup sponsored by MDC Learning Resources. It is currently comprised of a college-wide group of faculty, administrators, and staff from Learning Resources, English, Social Sciences, and the School of Entertainment and Design Technology. All Group members serve on a voluntary basis. The Group was formed in October 2021 with the following goals:
- To foster appreciation of graphic novels, graphic non-fiction, comics, and related art and literary forms
- To encourage and support the use of these materials for interdisciplinary teaching, social awareness, and personal enrichment
- To enhance the MDC Libraries’ print and online collections of graphic novels and graphic non- fiction
The Group also engages students and other members of the MDC community in co-curricular events, such as guest lectures, facilitated discussions, and creative workshops. Since almost half (48%) of our students are non-native English speakers, any group we reach is likely to include English language learners who may find graphic novels particularly accessible.
Exemplary Criteria
As an increasingly popular and inclusive art and literary medium, graphic novels can promote literacy (especially in reluctant readers), foster aesthetic appreciation, and help readers gain a deeper understanding of historical, cultural, and ethical perspectives. Over the years, innovators such as Will Eisner, Alan Moore, Art Spiegelman, Alison Bechdel, and others have pushed the graphic novel to new heights, and have demonstrated its potential to reach across educational, economic, political, and social barriers. Our objective is to raise awareness of the artistic and literary value of graphic novels and graphic non-fiction, and to inspire students, faculty, and staff to explore these works and to tell their own stories in graphic novel form.
To date, the Graphic Novel Interest Group has accomplished the following:
- Created an internal LibGuide to serve as a repository for meeting minutes, promotional materials, etc. The LibGuide also includes a blog for sharing items of interest, and a discussion board currently being used to share lists of graphic novels to aid in library collection development.
- Created an email distribution list to keep the MDC community informed of upcoming activities. As of this writing, 83 MDC students and employees have signed up to receive email reminders and announcements. These individuals were recruited by:
- Reaching out to related student clubs (manga, anime, gaming, arts & literature, etc.)
- Hosting a table at the Kendall Campus Club Rush.
- Arranging for an article in The Reporter (the MDC student newspaper).
- Emailing flyers to faculty, staff, and student contacts.
- Advertising via electronic kiosks and social media.
- Added a public-facing Events & Announcements blog to our Graphic Novels & Comics LibGuide.
- Added a Book Club page to our Graphic Novels & Comics LibGuide, with an archivable Hyvor commenting widget to enable online discussion.
- Held a vote to determine the Group’s first Book Club selection. Voting was open to everyone in the MDC community. Seven titles were nominated. The winning title was A Silent Voice 1 by Oima Yoshitoki, which focuses on coping with bullying, disability, and depression.
- Obtained funds from Humanities Edge to purchase 5 copies of A Silent Voice 1, which were given away to 5 students randomly selected from the email list.
- Added the Book Club nominees to OverDrive.
- Applied for the Will Eisner Graphic Novel Grant for Libraries.
- Proposed allocation of funds and compiled selection lists to purchase graphic novels for each of MDC’s 8 campus libraries. Total combined expenditure: $10,000.
- Held an online panel discussion on “Graphic Novels as a Serious Literary Genre.” Over 50 students and employees attended the discussion.
- Held an online book club discussion of A Silent Voice 1. Over 20 students and employees attended.
- Developed feedback survey for events to assess interest and effectiveness (see table below).
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Survey Responses for Book Club Discussion of A Silent Voice 1 (March 16, 2022)
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https://mdc.libwizard.com/f/GNIGEventSurvey3-16-22
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How would you rate this session?
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What did you most enjoy about the session? Did you learn anything new that you found particularly interesting?
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What kind of events would interest you in the future?
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Excellent
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Question brought up by presenters about the story.
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N/A
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Excellent
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The shared insights and perspectives on the material
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More like this and the previous panel talk!
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Excellent
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The conversation was lively. I didn't know there was a movie.
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Another graphic novel discussion.
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Excellent
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Angel and Alejandro moderated great discussion!
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More book panels / viewing parties!
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Excellent
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The conversation and questions were incredibly intriguing
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More book discussions
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Upcoming activities:
- Campus-based screenings of A Silent Voice film.
- Book club discussion of A Silent Voice 2.
- Graphic Novel Interest Group logo design contest for students.
Future plans:
- Book Club discussion(s) of The Best We Could Do for Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
- Book Club discussion(s) of Watchmen for fall, 2022 semester.
- Themed panel discussions on topics TBD (e.g., graphic memoirs, horror graphic novels, graphic novels authored by women, etc.)
- Use of EAB Navigate for direct messaging to students.
- Contingent on receipt of Eisner grant: Book Club discussion of a graphic novel on the subject of body image, guest lecture on “The Power of Storytelling,” hands-on storyboarding workshop, art installation featuring student work, related campus-based displays, and screenings.