Award for Best Graphic Novel Collection in a Library. And the WINNER is....

So Thomas Maluck @LiberryTom says,

I keep seeing "Best Retailer" among comics awards. Its time for them to add "Best Library." Who agrees?

And I agreed.

Let me clarify. I hate awards. Because I don't think librarians should be awarded for doing our jobs. But as part of our communities, we should show some pride in the ways we manage and spend the money we are given. And if that means we need to stick a ribbon on our collection that tells everyone WE DONE GOOD, then maybe we should do it.

Clarification Expanded: I also hate extra work. I don't have time to READ graphic novels and EVALUATE content. So here is my PROPOSAL for an award for GRAPHIC NOVEL collections in libraries.

If this were my project and I wanted to get it started asap, I would limit to giving awards for graphic novel collections that include each of the titles from these lists:
YALSA Best Graphic Novels Top 10 Lists, 2007 to Current
and
the Wikipedia entry for List of award-winning graphic novels

Libraries could check their collections against the lists and get nominated if they think they have everything or most of everything or everything for given years. The actual award doesn't exist so I don't have the rules sorted out. Except for the one that says, if you had a book in your collection and it's now missing and it's currently out of print and can no longer be purchased: tough titty. If it doesn't show in your catalog as being part of your collection, you don't get credit for it.

The rules for the first awards should be kept simple. Until we get a committee, then YEE-HAW, the more rules the better!


Award Process (DRAFT)

• Library collections are nominated through an online form.
• Libraries may be nominated in multiple categories (when separate category awards become active).
• Nominations are verified through online searches such as library catalogs for collections and library websites for programs. Media sites may be used to verify news stories.
• Only print collections are accepted. Animation (video / DVD) could become a separate category.
• All Titles must have an ISBN.

• In event of a tie, libraries will be awarded based on annual purchasing budget sub-categories: under $10K, $10K-$50K, Over $50K.

There could be Future Categories, if someone WANTS EXTRA WORK. Wikipedia uses these nine categories that we could use to give awards for library collections:

A

    ► Adventure graphic novels‎

C

    ► Crime graphic novels‎

E

    ► Erotic graphic novels‎

   
F

    ► Fantasy graphic novels‎

H

    ► Horror graphic novels‎
    ► Humor graphic novels‎

   
N

    ► Non-fiction graphic novels‎

S

    ► Science fiction graphic novels‎
    ► Superhero graphic novels‎

Final Clarification. I would love to do this. And I could do it. But I can't imagine any library would accept an award from the.effing.librarian. So I don't know what to do with this DRAFT. Except post it and hope I can be involved in some way if-when it finally gets going. But I'll have to probably use my real name at some point. So promise you won't tell anyone it's me.