Manga Mania!

The good news is that teens and preteens are reading. The trick is figuring out what they're reading.

One thing they're reading is a genre of graphic novels called manga. People have been aware of this for a while, so this is not really breaking news. But I would like to offer encouragement to libraries who have been reluctant to develop a strong manga or graphic novel collection.

There are a lot of manga series (like Naruto on the left) that offer the type of ninja-oriented, action-filled plots that many adolescent boys and girls are looking for. But you can also find series like Boys Over Flowers for your teen patrons that are more lover than fighter. The most important thing is to not stereotype your readers; just put the books out there and see what circulates.

And remember: you don't have to read these to recommend them! Just know the titles and an idea of the plot. Is it action or teen romance?

If you are still reluctant to try some of these books, just take a walk through the graphic novel section at your local bookstore (especially Barnes and Nobles or Borders). This place is mobbed with kids lounging around quietly reading their favorite manga or comic book series. Wouldn't you love to have these kids at your library?

And it gets better, because these books are not limited to teenagers - other age groups love them too! Children want to see what the older kids are reading, and adults will pick them up too, as long as you don't give them the teen label.

Don't label it young adult, just call it the graphic novel section and you will not be able to keep these on the shelf.

Here are a few manga series that have circulated extremely well at my library:

• Death Note
• Naruto
• One Piece

These titles are all products of Viz Media, but there are a lot of other great manga publishers out there. Just browse for yourself the next time you're at the bookstore!

Goodbye, Books! Hello, MySpace?

There’s been a lot of talk about the end of books, and the death of the printed word. But this doesn’t really concern me. I ride the packed subway trains to and from work everyday, and watch as sometimes half of the other commuters sit down and crack open a book. I serve lines of patrons looking for new books: popular mainstream fiction, urban fiction, mysteries, thrillers, romance, and science fiction. I distribute countless volumes of nonfiction: biographies, travel guides, historical accounts, test guides. Like the United States as a whole, New York is a city of immigrants, a city of lifetime learners. Reading is an experience that can’t be replaced by movies, music, or video games. The act of reading is here to stay, and printed books, well, they still have some time left.

But I’m concerned about libraries that seem to be ignoring emerging technologies, especially those associated with Web 2.0. There seems to be this trend in the library field of being traditional, rigid, and stubborn. It seems so strange to me, though, because by nature, libraries should be flexible. Libraries exist to serve the needs of their patrons and must change with the growing needs of the community.

I can’t imagine a better time to be a librarian. While the book is not necessarily going anywhere, we are also seeing the emergence of new literacies and new ways for people to learn and grow. I’ve heard the comment that people are only visiting libraries now to use the computers; as if this is somehow divergent from the mission of public libraries. Regardless of race, class, or age, people are packing public libraries and using computers to access information and, believe it or not, they are reading.

As Linda W. Braun notes in "Reading: It’s Not Just About Books Anymore" (2007), teenagers are logging onto MySpace and reading profiles, blogs, and comments. There is no shortage of streaming audio and video, but Web 2.0 is primarily text-based. Many librarians are embracing Web 2.0 with open arms, and hopefully many more will realize the potential for these technologies.

Citations: Braun, Linda W. Reading: It's Not Just About Books Anymore, YALS, Summer 2007.