Are comic books are too fragile a medium? Will they hold up to the rigors of library use?
Very frequently, comic books come in multi-issue trade paperback form. Both trade paper-backs and graphic novels are as strong as any high-quality paperback books. Conveniently, those comics that due come in these forms often represent the best comic book stories. Modern comic books utilize high-grade paper, inks, and printing methods. The days of newsprint comics are largely gone. As with any library medium, intuitive preservation techniques can greatly enhance the life of a comic. Shelf-life of library comics can be extended through the use of plastic magazine covers or similar preservation methods. Libraries can treat their comic books as a current browsing collection, retaining recent years only, as with other popular periodicals. Back issues may be contained in Trade paperback form. Given their relatively low subscription prices, the cost-per-circulation ratio for comic books is extremely favorable for libraries.
