Best Practices for Comics and Graphic Works

Full best practices at: https://alair.ala.org/handle/11213/18623

Bib record

Fixed fields

• Cont should always be coded as 6 for "comics/graphic novels" AND Ills gets coded as a

• Pay attention to other fixed fields such as LitF and Biog. Please note that just because it's illustrated, it can still be a biography or other nonfiction

Authors & contributors

• Check to see that all 1XX and 7XX fields have relator terms

• Use the term artist for illustrators of graphic novels

• Check that if the author is also the artist of the title that they are credited for both

  • Ex: 100 10 $a Tuttle, Icaro, $e author, $e artist.

  • Ex: 100 10 $a Gaiman, Neil, $e author.

Title

• Include a 500 note when there is no title page about where the title comes from

  • Ex: 500 __ $a Title from cover.

Physical description

• The phrase "chiefly illustrations" is no longer allowed in the 300 field under current RDA rules

• Add a note if something about the illustrations feels important (I have never done this, so I’m not even sure what this would look like)

  • Ex: 300 __ $a 434 pages : $b color illustrations ; $c 28 cm

• All graphic novels, graphic nonfiction and comics get two 336 fields

  • 336 __ $a text $b txt $2 rdacontent AND

  • 336 __ $a still image $b sti $2 rdacontent

• I always add a 380 for form of work from the LC Genre Form Terms. You may or may not see these in copy cataloging records

  • Ex: 380 __ $a Documentary comics $2 lcgft

Note fields

• Add a 586 if the comic won an award!

Subject headings & genre terms

• Per Library of Congress Subject Heading Manual instruction H 1430 section 2c, the LCSH form subdivision $v Comic books, strips, etc. is used for both fiction and nonfiction works

• Make sure that $v Comic books, strips, etc. subdivides many of the subject headings

• Because comics are not always seen as obvious sources for research, please review to be sure that there is more than one subject heading. We want to be proactive and provide as many access points as possible so that students can find the materials for subjects that they are interested in

• 655 _7

  • There should be multiple genre terms describing what kind of graphic novel or comics the title is. This helps readers find more of the kinds of comics they are looking for. If the book is covering a tricky topic, or if it has only one subject heading and no genre terms, save for a librarian to review

Local practices

Call numbers for fiction

If the title in hand does not have a call number, assign a call number starting with the country of origin. The countries listed below are ones we purchase in widely:

• PN6767 for Italy

• PN6757 for Germany

• PN6747 for France

• PN6733 for Canada

• PN6727 for United States

A full number will be created as:

• $a Comic_by_country_of_origin.Author_lastname_Cutter $b Title_Cutter Year

  • Ex: I morti non prendono l'ascensore by Icaro Tuttle (Italian language graphic novel)

  • 050 _4 $a PN6767.T88 $b M67 2023

Call numbers for nonfiction

Classify nonfiction comics under their subject heading

• Ex: The facts of life by Paula Knight is a British graphic medicine comic about infertility.

  • Classify under RG201 for Infertility in Women

• Ex: A biography of the jazz musician, Charlie Parker will be classified under ML419.P4

If a title in hand already has a call number, you do not need to review or verify. Just keep things simple and use it, even if it does not conform to our guidelines. If you truly believe something is in error, set aside for a librarian with a precise note as to what you believe the problem might be.

Location information

UM Science Graphic Medicine (USGM)

• Use for science graphic novels and comics related to health or medicine

• SEL is using a very broad definition of “health or medicine” so if we have a question about the location, we will need to reach out to Ellen Lutz directly to clarify

UM Science & Engineering Library (USGEN)

• Use for science graphic novels about all other science topics that are NOT health or medicine

UM W.E.B Du Bois General Collections (UMGEN)

• Use for all world language comics, except Chinese, Japanese or Korean

• Do not put any graphic novels or comics into the Near East collection (UNEA), even if it is in a UNEA language

Note: manga and other comics in Chinese, Japanese or Korean go to the appropriate East Asian collection