Graphic novels and comics are, for the most part, a recent addition to the Columbia University Libraries collections, and this addition reflects both the variety and sophistication of the medium as well as critical and academic interest. In recent years the collection has grown to include over 1,300 titles.

The “graphic novel” is a format—narrative conveyed through sequential art—not a genre, and as such these works encompass a myriad of genres and artistic styles.

Currently on display on the 3rd floor of Butler, you can find an exhibition of selections from the collection, "Comics in the Curriculum." The exhibition will run through the Spring semester, 2010.

While these materials can be read for entertainment—as can much of the literature in the Libraries’ collections—they can also be incorporated into research and curricula to illustrate a variety of themes.  The examples in the exhibition "Comics in the Curriculum" merely scratch the surface.

 

 

 

For more information about Butler’s graphic novels collection, contact Karen Green at klg19@columbia.edu