Academic libraries have often used scholarship and curriculum support as means to justify collecting comics and graphic novels. However, these items often get lost in the greater academic collections, and these "hidden" collections often go unused. Three academic librarians have taken a different approach to utilizing graphic novels and comics as means for community engagement and to encourage a culture of reading. Topics covered include developing a social justice-themed comic collection and a physical space in the library for comics and graphics novels, encouraging a comic culture to underserved populations, and strategies for outreach and engagement using comics and graphic novels. Panelists are Kai Alexis Smith (subject librarian, Cal Poly Pomona), Bethany Herman (public services librarian, Houston Community College), and Jennifer Crispin (public services librarian, Houston Community College).
