scholarly journals A Survey of Graphic Novel Collection and Use in American Public Libraries

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Francis Schneider

Abstract Objective – The objective of this study was to survey American public libraries about their collection and use of graphic novels and compare their use to similar data collected about video games. Methods – Public libraries were identified and contacted electronically for participation through an open US government database of public library systems. The libraries contacted were asked to participate voluntarily. Results – The results indicated that both graphic novels and video games have become a common part of library collections, and both media can have high levels of impact on circulation. Results indicated that while almost all libraries surveyed had some graphic novels in their collections, those serving larger populations were much more likely to use graphic novels in patron outreach. Similarly, video game collection was also more commonly found in libraries serving larger populations. Results also showed that young readers were the primary users of graphic novels. Conclusion – Responses provided a clear indicator that graphic novels are a near-ubiquitous part of public libraries today. The results on readership bolster the concept of graphic novels as a gateway to adult literacy. The results also highlight differences between larger and smaller libraries in terms of resource allocations towards new media. The patron demographics associated with comics show that library cooperation could be a potential marketing tool for comic book companies.

Author(s):  
Charlie Ecenbarger

This article illuminates the transmedia storytelling techniques in The Walking Dead comic book and video game. Telltale Games' The Walking Dead localizes itself within the comic book world of The Walking Dead by acting as a transmedia storytelling device and using intertextuality comics to assist game players with meaning-making. By participating in the game, Telltale rewards players with additional information about The Walking Dead universe, as well as creating a contingent but separate narrative that expands upon the existing Walking Dead world. This exploration of The Walking Dead offers insights into the specific methods that are being employed by creators to further engage the audience in the transmedia storyworld.


2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dale Storie

Joyce, William. The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore.  Shreveport, LA: Moonbot Books, 2011.  iPad app. It seems strange that a story that expresses such love towards books as physical objects was first produced as an award-winning animated short film, and then adapted into an “interactive narrative experience” for the iPad.  The protagonist, Morris Lessmore, is transported via hurricane to another land where he encounters a young woman held aloft by a flock of anthropomorphized flying books.  One book leads him to a house full of more books, where he ends up living.  He takes care of the books, and lends them to drab, black-and-white people who bloom into full colour (à la Wizard of Oz) as soon as they receive their reading material.  Finally, as an old man, he is whisked away by the books, and the book that he wrote is used to draw a young girl into the house to take over his role as caretaker.It is usually the fate of new media to be unfavourably compared to more established media forms, but in this case, Morris Lessmore also suffers from being an adaptation rather than an original work.  This iPad version seems uncomfortably caught between the fluidity and liveliness of the original animated film and the sequential narrative of a traditional picture book. Like a video game adaptation of a major motion picture in which the player re-enacts a simple replay of the movie plot, many of the interactive features of this book app seem contrived, acting as tacked-on gimmicks rather than being truly integrated with the story as a unique experience. However, that does not mean that the narrative experience is entirely without merit.  The animation (taken directly from the film) looks amazing on the iPad’s vibrant screen, and finding the hidden “Easter eggs” on each page is quite entertaining for all ages.  Moonbot Studios also gets extra credit for its inventive use of the iPad’s touch interface - readers will enjoy swiping, coloring, dragging, and even playing the piano on the screen, even if these activities are sometimes tangential to the narrative itself.  Despite its shortcomings, Morris Lessmore stands out as exceptional in comparison to other picture book apps currently available for the iPad.  As a final incentive, it is very reasonably priced; for only $4.99 at the iTunes Store, the app is much less than your average print picture book (although there’s not much chance of finding it at your local library).Recommended: 3 out of 4 starsReviewer: Dale StorieDale Storie is Public Services Librarian at the John W. Scott Health Sciences Library at the University of Alberta. He has a BA in English, and has also worked in a public library as a children's programming coordinator, where he was involved with story times, puppet shows, and book talks.


2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tingting Liu

In the relatively young field of new media studies, both video games and online dating platforms are identified as being important and popular genres of digital products, which are often discussed separately. This article argues that these two genres of digital products are not so much separate but entangled elements of the same processes of technological shifts in media industry, development of people’s online leisure activities, and the convergence of digital genres. To provide empirical evidence, this article examines a Chinese dancing video game, QQ Dazzling Dance (QQ Xuan Wu), which creatively juxtaposes these two genres of participatory digital culture and recognizes the analytical and critical values in doing so.


2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Glusker

A Review of: Bennett-Kapusniak, R. (2013). Older Adults and the Public Library: The Impact of the Boomer Generation. Public Library Quarterly, 32(3), 204-222. doi: 10.1080/01616846.2013.818814 Abstract Objective – To determine whether programming at public libraries in the United States is aimed at older adults, and whether the programs help older adults maintain their health and well-being. Design – Web site evaluation. Setting – Public libraries in the United States of America. Subjects – The main library of each public library system located in the capital city of each of the 50 states in the United States of America. Methods – A scan of each of the web sites of the selected public library branches was performed by the author, to determine the number of programs specifically directed towards older adults. Main Results – The scan of sites indicated that there was very little programming specifically aimed at older adults and their needs. Mainly, offerings for older adults took the form of mixing in with adults of all ages. Computer technology class offerings were particularly lacking. The majority of libraries had programs to teach how to access library resources and electronic media (although not necessarily aimed at older adults), programs for those who are less mobile, as well as some adaptive technology for those with sensory disabilities. In addition, the majority of libraries had adult literacy programs, and active collaboration with community organizations. Conclusions – Public libraries can do more to develop programs specifically for older adults. They should take into account the wide diversity of older adults’ information and other needs. In particular, they should consider offering programs that focus on technological skills, and also should offer assistive technology for older patrons. There also needs to be more research on the needs of older adults, from the perspective of the patrons themselves and that of library staff.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 476-487
Author(s):  
Tatiana E. Fadeeva ◽  
Aleksandra D. Staruseva-Persheeva

The article is devoted to modern comics, which are considered as a kind of “laboratory” for experiments in the field of visual narratives, focusing on the construction and dynamics of their spatial-temporal continuum. The entire perceptual “space” of comics is significative (Fresnault-Derruelle); all elements of this space constitute the narrative. It is not only about the “space” of a book or a magazine; contemporary comics are intensely exploring new media, a key feature of which is interactivity. The article examines both the “classic” way of presenting visual material (comics in the form of book, “codex”), and the web-comics, which are similar to scrolls in their form, and have a new (compared to books) potential for interactivity. The article provides a systema­tic comparison of the ways of chronotope organizing in comics and screen arts (cinema, video art, media projects, etc.), and draws an analogy between the behavioral models of a comic book reader and a gamer going through the plot of a video game. One of the main theses of the article is the following: even though there are significant differences between the formats of comic books and web comics, there is a basic commonality in the nature of their impact on the rea­der. The images on the pages of comics and the spacings between them create an illusion of time through the mechanism of “closure” (S. McCloud). Therefore, the real interaction between space and time is pos­sible only with an active participation of the viewers who add their corporeality to this equation, matching it with the visual and textual register. In this way, in the process of the “assembling” perception of co­mics, the corporeal and the intellectual merge.


Author(s):  
Beth A. Cianfrone ◽  
James J. Zhang

This chapter introduces the new and unique sport promotional format of sport video game sponsorships and in-game advertising. Information on the growth of sport video games, unique features of this segment of the sport industry, and financial and technical value of in-game advertising and sponsorships are first introduced. Extensive discussions are made on the advantage of sport video games as a marketing tool and the importance of assessing the effectiveness of in-game advertising and sponsorships. The need to systematically understand consumer motivation and market demand for sport video games is highlighted. This chapter concludes with recognizing contemporary issues and recommended solutions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Kristen J. Nyitray

Kristen Nyitray began her immersion in video games with an Atari 2600 and ColecoVision console and checking out games from her local public library. Later in life, she had the opportunity to start building a video game studies collection in her professional career as an archivist and special collections librarian. While that project has since ended, you get the benefit of her expansive knowledge of video game sources in “Game On to Game After: Sources for Video Game History.” There is much in this column to help librarians wanting to support research in this important entertainment form. Ready player one?—Editor


Author(s):  
Beat Suter

This chapter shows the attempt to use narrative projections of the unconscious in video games (and film) for transgressing into a virtual world. It demonstrates the conceptual development from C.G. Jung's theories via Joseph Campbell and Hollywood's screenwriters to Video Game mythologies. It shows that a visual approach by game artists often leads to stereotypical implementation of archetypes and archeplot in video games that illustrates a lack of reflection and flexibility of mind and creativity. It further shows that a conscious implementation of individual patterns and archetypes as seen in Adventure Games and recent Indie Games may obtain narrative depth for a game and contribute to exploring the collective unconscious in new media. Gaming is rapidly changing and aims towards the ideal of a Holodeck. New Virtual Reality experiments and gadgets prepare the ground for new ways to engage in imagined (conscious and unconscious) realities. The chapter concludes with an example of an attempt to build a virtual dream world with the project Birdly (2014) and Oculus Rift.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-70
Author(s):  
Petr Květon ◽  
Martin Jelínek

Abstract. This study tests two competing hypotheses, one based on the general aggression model (GAM), the other on the self-determination theory (SDT). GAM suggests that the crucial factor in video games leading to increased aggressiveness is their violent content; SDT contends that gaming is associated with aggression because of the frustration of basic psychological needs. We used a 2×2 between-subject experimental design with a sample of 128 undergraduates. We assigned each participant randomly to one experimental condition defined by a particular video game, using four mobile video games differing in the degree of violence and in the level of their frustration-invoking gameplay. Aggressiveness was measured using the implicit association test (IAT), administered before and after the playing of a video game. We found no evidence of an association between implicit aggressiveness and violent content or frustrating gameplay.


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