Stan Tychinski has been collecting comic books and related items for the past 35 years. The Phantom. The ever-present Sesame Street. An all-time favorite. Kim Possible. Lilo & Stitch. Building a New Reader Base by Stan Tychinski Today's libraries are facing a multitude of challenges. Increased competition from the Internet, video games, DVDs and other high tech forms entertainment have led to a serious decrease in the number of readers who actively use and support their local library. In many urban and inner city areas, illiteracy is among the greatest challenges the community struggles against. Budget cuts, escalating operating costs, and public apathy are forcing local libraries to cut hours or in many cases, close altogether. In order to survive and compete in this new atmosphere, community libraries are becoming more creative in their outreach programs. A proactive library needs to become a place that people want to go, a place that offers fresh, new looks at the world of books and reading. They need to begin cultivating new readers, younger minds that are eager to learn and explore, to develop a new patron base that will help the library grow and thrive. But how? How can libraries attract new readers to their shelves? One answer is easily provided by the ever-expanding world of comics, trade paperbacks and graphic novels. For instance, a recent article in the School Library Journal states "The presence of comics in a junior high school library resulted in a dramatic 82% increase in library traffic, and a 30% increase in NON-COMIC books circulation." Other studies have shown that: Comics and graphic novels are great tools for readers with poor reading skills. They are excellent tools for use with those students who are visual learners and those with short attention spans. Comic and graphic novel readers have better vocabularies and many tend to read above their grade level. Comic and graphic novel readers equate reading with pleasure, and a pleasurable, fun reading experience develops into stronger reading habits and a desire to read more. The diversity of genres, styles, and subjects available in graphic novels encourages readers to explore other areas of interest and try other forms of fiction. Proper selection of graphic novels to age and sex can enforce positive values and provide positive role models for children, especially young women. Stories of heroines such as Wonder Woman, Akiko and Spider-Girl show strong, empowered women in positions of strength and influence. Values of right and wrong are also emphasized, and many storylines in all ages of graphic novels are designed to reflect a strong, positive moral. Comics & Teaching The concept of using comics and graphic novels as teaching aids is not a new one. As far back as World War II, the US Army and other service branches began using comic strip format magazines, pamphlets and brochures as training guides for troops. They were aware that by entertaining the recruit they could also teach something important at the same time. During the late sixties and into the seventies, comic-based reading programs were developed for classrooms, such as the Comics Reading Library produced by Charlton Comics for King Features Syndicate and starring many comic strip stars such as Popeye and Flash Gordon. Archie Comics launched a similar program. A recent effort in the Florida school system using a graphic novel program produced by CrossGen comics has met with some success. And of course, who hasn't helped themselves out on a book report or two aided by a tattered copy of Classics Illustrated? To a child growing up in today's rapid-fire, sound-bite-driven world, the prospect of picking up a 300-page copy of Huckleberry Finn and diving in may be pretty overwhelming. Hundreds of pages, few or no pictures, what a lot of time and effort this will require! But imagine that the same child was introduced early to reading through the medium of graphic novels. A child who has, early on, been given the means to visualize words and pictures together, developing good reading habits, as well as a healthy imagination. Suddenly that impenetrable tome is a doorway to a New World! All-Ages Material A lot of emphasis on the graphic novel market has been aimed at promoting the maturity level, the "adultness" if you will. But a growing segment of the market is now aimed at a younger audience. Comics companies are once again discovering that young readers are more responsive and enthusiastic about their books and products, and that those same children's parents love to see their children being entertained. It's no secret that characters from popular movies and television sell well in children's book form - witness the ongoing success of Little Golden Books, Sesame Street tie-in books and magazines, and many others. From Big Little Books of the 40's to the graphic novels of today, the adventures of these media characters are the most popular subject matter for children's reading material. These all-ages trade paperbacks, digests, and traveler editions are designed to introduce youngsters to the habit of reading by entertaining them with adventures of their favorite characters. Who's Reading What? Librarians choosing graphic novels for their shelves do need to be aware of the many types and styles of books available, and to select material appropriate to the targeted reading audience they are purchasing for. Select all-ages books featuring the characters that kids are enthusiastic about. Not sure? Survey your patrons; ask the parents what their kids like. Take a look around the youth room in your library - count the number of SpongeBob T-shirts and Disney character backpacks. These are the characters that kids like best... remember, parents only buy what their kids ask for. No one ever got away with buying his or her kid the wrong lunchbox! Another big plus for libraries facing a budget crunch is the fact that most all-ages graphic novels are fairly inexpensive. So your valuable budget dollar can go farther, and help create a broader patron base at the same time. Market Yourself Once you've selected and purchased some all-ages graphic novels for your library, you need to market them. Get the word out that you're carrying them; let the kids know that they're here! Start a summer reading program, form a comics club, organize events around the graphic novels. For instance, SpongeBob Squarepants could be an excellent launching pad for a program on oceans and sea life. By introducing young readers to other books via graphic novels, you'll be developing a solid patron base for your library. And don't forget that while your event director is entertaining the kids with Spider Man, Mom and Dad will be spending time browsing the shelves as well, and may even turn into regular visitors themselves! The current leader in the world of all-ages graphic novels is Tokyopop, one of the leading publishers of manga (Japanese-style comics) in the United States. Their Cine-Manga lines of full-color, digitized graphic novels are currently among the best selling books on the market. Cine-Manga books are adaptations of episodes from various popular TV and movie series, illustrated by using stills and digital freeze frames from the actual shows. Text and word balloons are added, utilizing the episode's scripts. Retail giants Wal-Mart and Target have signed on to carry their products, and an estimated 670,000 retail copies were sold in 2003. Tokyopop and Walt Disney Productions have partnered to produce a line of Disney Channel Cine-Manga. Kids can read about favorites such as Lilo & Stitch, Lizzie Maguire, Princess Diaries, Finding Nemo, Kim Possible, and That's So Raven! Nickelodeon Studios has also signed a deal with Tokyopop, initially offering SpongeBob SquarePants, Jimmy Neutron-Boy Genius and Jackie Chan Adventures. Over 24 new titles are also expected to be produced over the next few years. Recently, Tokyopop announced that it has signed a deal with the National Basketball Association, to produce a Cine-Manga series called Greatest Stars of the NBA. This series will feature basketball superstars Shaquille O'Neal, Jason Kidd, Kevin Garnett, and others. In addition, the NBA has selected the project to become part it's Read To Achieve program, designed to combat illiteracy in grade schools. This NBA-funded program is expected to reach over 50 million children nationwide, the largest outreach initiative ever in the history of professional sports.