Comics Communities: Three Case Studies (And a Party) Will Hansen Assistant Curator of Collections David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library Duke University

Edwin and Terry Murray Comic Book Collection 65,000+ comics, 1930s-2000s Part of Murray Pulp Culture Collection: Fanzines, RPGs, Magazines, Books, etc. Largest institutional collection in Southeastern US, one of the largest in the country Supplemented by additional collecting: over 75,000 comics at Duke

Community #1: Governors School NC East program based at Meredith College, Raleigh Five-week summer residential program For intellectually gifted rising high school seniors Robin Follet, class on Comic Books and Graphic Novels

Governors School Session: Pop Quiz

Community #2: Comics Fest Comics Go to College

Community #3: NC ComiCon

The Library Party

Returns on Investment Reduce intimidation factor for current and future users Demonstrate that we want materials to be useful Increase circulation: welcome users to visit or send ???s) Public events = Public knowledge = Public interest Leverage pop culture to show why SCLs are important Potential donations (time, money, collections) Potential Friends of Library with no other connection Improved curatorial knowledge and understanding Practice with different interpretive frames