In the August episode of the NCTC Libraries Podcast, Associate Dean of Libraries Shedrick Pittman-Hassett spoke about the Gainesville campus library’s new graphic novels, the nature of graphic novels, and plans for other campuses to start their own graphic novel collection. On the Flower Mound campus, we have already begun the process.
When it came to look at what graphic novels should constitute the first group of twenty books, we took two main approaches. First, what type of books might fit some of the curriculum here in Flower Mound. For that, we looked at some of the courses here, and found that horror was often used as a topic in English classes. That fits in well with graphic novels, as horror is a very popular genre for authors and artists. The second approach was to ask the students about graphic novels that they like to read. This was done by leaving a sign-up sheet out at the welcome back party and in the library for a few weeks. This list, with our course needs, and some general research on important graphic novels, led to the creation of a base list of graphic novels for the Flower Mound campus. As of December, this collection includes 28 individual books, including multiple volumes from four different series.
One thing that was obvious from the list made by students: people like Batman and author Alan Moore. In the world of graphic novels, Alan Moore has written some of the most popular books in the genre, including many that were adapted into films. Here in the Flower Mound library, we have several Moore titles, including V for Vendetta, Watchmen, Batman: the Killing Joke, and From Hell (a story about Jack the Ripper). Another important author in the world of comics and graphic novels is Frank Miller. Miller has written for both DC and Marvel, and one of his most important works is in the Flower Mound collection, 1986’s Batman: the Dark Knight Returns.
Our collection also includes several series, including six books from the Scott Pilgrim series; six books from Season 8 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer; two volumes of author Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series; and two volumes of the Fables series by Bill Willingham, another favorite of our students. We also have several works of literature and non-fiction including the full original texts of Dracula; Frankenstein; and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, all in graphic novel form. Non-fiction works include Max Brook’s take on The Harlem Hellfighters, and Understanding Comics: the Invisible Art. There is also the popular Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.
Other works from the pop culture realm include Marvel’s Civil War, Inhumans, and Secret Wars; the sequel to Chuck Palahniuk’s novel and film Fight Club, titled Fight Club 2: the Tranquility Gambit; and the complete Maus series by Art Spiegelman.
While many titles may duplicated in the various campus libraries, patrons are encouraged to explore the different collections, as each campus is responsible for choosing their titles, and there may hidden gems somewhere you may not have looked.
In the meantime, come check out the Flower Mound collection!
–Submitted by Dax Stokes, Librarian, Flower Mound Campus
NCTC: Beyond the Stacks 
We gonna get any of these titles on the Gainesville campus?
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We may get some duplicate titles (for instance, both campuses have Understanding Comics and Persepolis), but we try to diversify across campuses. However, we can have any title from any of our libraries sent to Gainesville to be checked out. It usually takes 1-2 business days and then you can check it out. You can even request it online through the Library Catalog or staff can assist.
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I would like to recommend Maus by Art Spiegelman. It is a graphic novel based the Holocaust, told from a survivor’s point of view.
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We actually carry Maus in both the Gainesville and Flower Mound collections. It is an excellent graphic novel and a classic in the format.
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