Comics Plus

CONTENT

Comics Plus is a database of new and backlist comics and graphic novels from more than 120 publishers. In addition to the comics, the resource contains topical and genre lists and well-designed training and publicity materials for library staff. New titles are added every Wednesday.

Publishers include some with international roots such as Kodansha; some with a focus on the very young, such as Toon Books; curriculum-related publishers such as Capstone; longtime comics publishers such as Andrews McMeel; companies that create graphic novel and prose works, such as Rosen; and widely recognized graphic novel publishers including Dark Horse Comics, Archie, and NBM and its youth imprint, Papercutz. The range of publishers excludes imprints from any of the “Big Five,” Drawn & Quarterly and Marvel and DC. At the time of this writing, negotiations are in process with Image Comics.

Categorization of titles is fine-grained, with each book described in multiple and searchable ways among more than 50 LibraryPass category tags, which include adaptations, LGBTQ, memoir, nonfiction, and political. For each title, users will find bibliographic information, intended audience age, and a plot summary provided by the publisher.

USABILITY

Comics Plus offers unlimited access and simultaneous use for all content. All reading is done within the LibraryPass ecosystem, on a smartphone or tablet or within a web browser. Once a title is selected and opened, it is considered moved to the user’s personal shelf and remains there until the user removes it. Manga published in traditional right-to-left orientation maintains that format in the screen versions. Readers can easily track their relative place in the story, as all books indicate the number of pages read and the total number of pages.

The LibraryPass platform is designed to make the sequential art format more accessible through libraries, including public, school, and academic institutions. Authentication options specifically for public libraries and those geared to school libraries are provided, and directions are supplied for school libraries using MackinVia accounts. A well-working app for iOS is currently available, and an Android app is forthcoming.

Content is divided into five age tiers (children, kids, teens, young adult, and adult), and libraries can control access for younger and/or teen readers with a variety of authentication options. The age ratings reflect sophistication of presentation style as well as subject content, thus addressing visual literacy development. Libraries can also turn off access to any individual titles, thus maintaining complete control of the collection for their local communities.

Users can search Comics Plus by category or publisher or by typing a desired term into the search box; they can also filter content by recently added, popular, and featured comics. Multiple themed lists (spooky reads, arts and crafts, pride, American history, and more) offer browsers and library staff many discovery possibilities.

PRICING

Pricing for annual subscriptions varies by package, institution (public, college/university, or K–12 schools), and population served (for public libraries) or full-time enrollment (for K–12 schools, colleges, and universities). Packages include the children’s library (for ages five through 14) and all-access (which includes mature content); institutions can remove titles deemed too mature for their population.

VERDICT

Comics Plus is an excellent resource to build and expand both sequential art collections and public awareness of the format’s diversity and appeal. The content is broad, deep, rich, and nuanced and offers high-interest options for dedicated and novice comics readers alike. Supporting resources, including the featured lists and category tags, provide support for library staff and an opportunity to increase community access to the format. The LibraryPass platform works almost intuitively and has been designed with clear library utility awareness.

Francisca Goldsmith is a consultant at Library Ronin, Worcester, MA.