Mark your calendars for Friday, May 19th! BayNet presents a unique opportunity for librarians working in any environment to learn about next-level graphic novel collection development, with a special emphasis on building a diverse collections. In this special presentation – led by two veteran graphic novel selectors and general comic book enthusiasts – you will learn about why librarians serving all kinds of audiences are turning to graphic novels, and best practices and procedures to further grow and diversify comic and graphic novel collections. Everyone who works with graphic novels in their library or wants to learn more about these wildly popular materials will have something to gain at this half-day workshop.

We’ll begin with a presentation by Jack Baur (Berkeley Public Library) and Amanda Jacobs Foust (Librarian and Consultant), two longtime graphic novel selectors and the co-hosts of the In the Library with a Comic Book podcast. The duo will discuss the history and current direction of representation in comics; share their collection development best practices, and favorite resources; and discuss philosophical approach to building and curating a diverse graphic novel collection. Jack and Amanda will also share some of their annual annotated Top 10 lists, and allow plenty of time for Q&A.

The second half of our program will feature a special panel of comic book professionals who will share their creative process and discuss the power of comics as a means of telling diverse stories, and as educational tools. Guests on the panel will be:

Mariko Tamaki – Eisner Award-winning writer of This One Summer, current writer on Supergirl: Being Super and Hulk
Justin Hall – Assistant Professor of Comics at CCA, editor of No Straight Lines: Four Decades of Queer Comics
Thi Bui – writer/artist of the upcoming graphic novel The Best We Can Do, founding member of Oakland’s International High School
Nidhi Chanani – writer/artist of the upcoming graphic novel Pashmina, illustrator at Everyday Love