Short answer
Ensure that foundational and influential works within your design discipline, even those in less traditional formats like graphic novels, are accessible for research and inspiration.
- Field
- Classic Design
- Source
- Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (2019)
- Method
- Collection analysis
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Academic libraries are not adequately acquiring prominent graphic novels, despite the format's growing popularity and cultural significance. This classic design research insight is drawn from a 2019 study published in Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). Using Collection analysis, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Ensure that foundational and influential works within your design discipline, even those in less traditional formats like graphic novels, are accessible for research and inspiration.
Academic Libraries Lag in Collecting Influential Graphic Novels
Academic libraries are not adequately acquiring prominent graphic novels, despite the format's growing popularity and cultural significance.
Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) · 2019
Key Findings
- 01ARL member libraries generally do not have robust collections of prominent graphic novels.
- 02Libraries tend to acquire graphic novels from mainstream publishers and those aligning with existing collection genres.
Application
Design takeaway
Ensure that foundational and influential works within your design discipline, even those in less traditional formats like graphic novels, are accessible for research and inspiration.
How to apply
When researching the history or evolution of visual communication, actively seek out and analyze influential graphic novels, and advocate for their inclusion in institutional archives and educational materials.
Project actions
- 01When researching design history, consider if key works in your chosen medium are readily available in libraries.
- 02Think about how accessibility of resources impacts the study and development of design.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Provides a quantitative assessment of library holdings.
- +Focuses on a recognized set of influential graphic novels.
Limitations
The study only looked at a specific list of graphic novels and didn't check how many copies of each book the libraries had.
Reliability & validity
The reliability of the findings depends on the accuracy of the online catalog data and the comprehensiveness of the 'core list'. Validity is supported by the focus on a recognized group of libraries and influential works.
Think critically
If academic libraries are slow to adopt new or evolving formats, what other forms of design or media might be underrepresented in educational resources, and what are the implications for future designers?
Design Principles
"Curate and provide access to seminal works that define and advance a design medium."
This highlights a potential disconnect between the cultural relevance of a design medium and its accessibility within educational institutions. Designers and researchers should consider how the availability of influential works impacts the study and evolution of visual storytelling and design.
What This Means for Your Design
Many university libraries aren't buying many of the most important graphic novels, even though lots of people like them now.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this to justify the importance of a comprehensive resource list for your design project, or to explain why certain materials might be hard to find.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research indicates that academic libraries may not be fully embracing the growing importance of graphic novels as a medium, potentially limiting student and researcher access to influential works. This highlights the need for design educators and practitioners to ensure that foundational and contemporary examples of visual storytelling are accessible for study and inspiration.
Source
Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Graphic Novel Holdings in Academic Libraries: An Analysis of the Collections of Association of Research Libraries Members
journal · 2019
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about academic libraries lag in collecting influential graphic novels?
- Ensure that foundational and influential works within your design discipline, even those in less traditional formats like graphic novels, are accessible for research and inspiration. Evidence: Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (2019).
- Why does "Academic Libraries Lag in Collecting Influential Graphic Novels" matter for design?
- This highlights a potential disconnect between the cultural relevance of a design medium and its accessibility within educational institutions. Designers and researchers should consider how the availability of influential works impacts the study and evolution of visual storytelling and design.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Ensure that foundational and influential works within your design discipline, even those in less traditional formats like graphic novels, are accessible for research and inspiration.
- What were the main findings?
- ARL member libraries generally do not have robust collections of prominent graphic novels.. Libraries tend to acquire graphic novels from mainstream publishers and those aligning with existing collection genres.
- What research method was used?
- Collection analysis.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2019 journal from Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When researching the history or evolution of visual communication, actively seek out and analyze influential graphic novels, and advocate for their inclusion in institutional archives and educational materials.
- What are the limitations?
- The study focused on a specific list of graphic novels and a subset of academic libraries, and did not analyze the depth or condition of the collected works.