Diamond Welcomes You to the 2017 ALA Annual Conference
Every year, the American Library Association (ALA) hosts their Annual meeting and exhibits show in June. The conference attracts more than 10,000 educators, writers, librarians and staff, publishers, special guests, and exhibitors, and hosts over 1,500 meetings, programs, events, and in-depth conversations for patrons over
a the five day conference.
AND IT'S FINALLY HERE! Starting tomorrow, June 22nd through June 27th Diamond BookShelf and Diamond Book Distributors (DBD) will be located at Booth #1118!
This year BookShelf and DBD are excited to be hosting a giveaway for educators and librarians at the conference including action figures and graphic novels. See below for a list of giveaway details and activities for the conference. For a full list, click here.
Enter for a Chance to Win
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This year, Diamond Book Distributors and BookShelf present an ALA Annual Gift Basket. The gift basket will be filled with various action figures and graphic novels for one lucky winner! See below for details on the items that will be in the gift basket.
In order to be eligible to win, stop by Booth #1118 and let us scan your badge! After the conference, Diamond will choose one winner to receive the prize basket. Please make sure your badge is registered in order to win.
Walking Dead Compendium 1
Image Comics 9781607060765
Princess Princess Ever After
Oni Press
9781620103401
Monstress Volume 1: The Awakening
Image Comics
9781632157096
Princless Volume 1: Save Yourself
Action Lab Entertainment
9781939352545
Faith Volume 1: Hollywood & Vine
Valiant Entertainment
9781682151211
Dr Who Companion's Companion
Penguin Group (UK)
9781405929691
Marvel Select Spider-Man Action Figure
Diamond Select Toys
Pop Dr. Who 12th Doctor with Guitar
Funko
Batman 1966 Batmobile Bottle Opener
Image Comics
Graphic Novel Panels
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Every year, the ALA Annual is home to over 1,500 meetings and conferences for educators and librarians. With an overwhelming number of fantastic meetings to attend with topics across the literary board, it can be difficult narrowing down your interests. Here, BookShelf highlights the graphic novel meetings taking place during the conference to help you make sure you have time to attend one [or all!] of them! To see a full list of graphic novel panels happening at ALA Annual,
click here.
Graphic novels are a storytelling format, not a genre, and as with any other means of telling a story -- whether the story be fiction or non-fiction -- they can engage, teach, and inspire readers of all ages. This is why you are seeing graphic novels being used in classrooms more than ever before. During this Forum you will have the chance to learn from some of the most enthusiastic educators (and aren't all librarians educators?) using graphic novels in the classroom today.
SATURDAY, JUNE 24
Graphic Memoirs: How Non-Fiction Graphic Novels Bring Real Lives To Life, 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
McCormick Place, W175b
The graphic novel is a powerful vehicle for biography and memoir, as they can often get to the heart of the subject faster and more dynamically than prose. With images as the heart of the narrative, readers are allowed a far more intimate look into the subject's life. In this panel comics creators will explain how they approached their subjects, how they decided what to leave out and what to include, and the extent to which they inserted themselves into the narrative. As graphic
narratives find a more prominent place in classrooms, graphic memoirs offer another access to the fascinating world of biography.
Graphic Memoirs: How Non-Fiction Graphic Novels Bring Real Lives To Life, 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
McCormick Place, W175b
The graphic novel is a powerful vehicle for biography and memoir, as they can often get to the heart of the subject faster and more dynamically than prose. With images as the heart of the narrative, readers are allowed a far more intimate look into the subject's life. In this panel comics creators will explain how they approached their subjects, how they decided what to leave out and what to include, and the extent to which they inserted themselves into the narrative. As graphic
narratives find a more prominent place in classrooms, graphic memoirs offer another access to the fascinating world of biography.
SUNDAY, JUNE 25
Comics at the Frontier of a New Literary Movement, 10:30 AM - 11:20 AM
McCormick Place, Exhibit Hall - Graphic Novel/Gaming Stage
Comics are at a new height of popularity and cultural acceptance, but can artists and publishers ensure that this isn’t just a passing trend? Does the popularity of superhero comics help or hinder the consideration of the art form as a whole? Artists like Sam Bosma, Jen Lee & Elise Gravel are at the vanguard of taking comics beyond the public’s popular preconceptions, and they’ll discuss the shape of comics as a genre, a medium, and an art form. Learn how
artists can use genre conventions to ease readers into a completely different side of the comics scene, and see what’s possible when artists are able to take you beyond your assumptions. The popularity of genre has given fans an introduction to the art of comics, and these panelists are using that to show the world that the future of the medium goes beyond any one category!
Image Comics 25th Anniversary Celebration, 11:30 AM - 12:20 PM
McCormick Place, Exhibit Hall - Graphic Novel/Gaming Stage
Comic creators Ryan Browne, Marjorie Liu, Jim Rugg, Gregg Schigiel, Tim Seeley, & Skottie Young speak about their experience of Image Comics throughout the years & reflect on how the company's history has impacted their own career trajectory. Discussion will touch on both specifics about Image and also how comics as a whole have evolved. Creators will talk about their inspirations, tell stories about times they were directly or indirectly affected by their industry role
models, talk about upcoming titles, and discuss how they are carrying the torch forward! A raffle and short signing will take place at the close of the event.
Comics for Teens: Discovery in the Library, 12:30 PM - 1:20 PM
McCormick Place, Exhibit Hall - Graphic Novel/Gaming Stage
Librarians, authors and publishers discussing and sharing thoughts about aiding teens and YA readers in discovering comics/ YA Graphic novels. A look at what has worked in the past as well as what tools can be used to grow readership in this category.
A Monstress Discussion with Author Marjorie Liu, 1:30 PM - 2:20 PM
McCormick Place, Exhibit Hall - Graphic Novel/Gaming Stage
Marjorie Liu discusses the upcoming new volume in her critically acclaimed series, Monstress. The author will describe her creative process, including inspirations and research methods, and will take questions from the audience. A raffle and short signing will take place at the close of the event.
MONDAY, JUNE 26
Telling Their Stories through Graphic Novels - Views from Behind the Fence, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
McCormick Place, W176b
A school librarian and school library professor will describe the 2016 Will Eisner Innovation Grant Award project that they facilitated at the Birchwood School at the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice. The grant project was a collaboration between the Birchwood School and the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina. Incarcerated students wrote and story-boarded the text for a graphic novel based on their gang experiences. In
addition to receiving free graphic novels for the library's collection, the grant provided funding for a graphic novel illustrator who worked with the students to illustrate the story they created. The final product was then marketed to publishers as an anti-gang tool. The illustrator also worked with art students at the school to help them develop graphic design skills. Finally, the library provided a program focusing on careers in graphic design. Participants at this session will learn how
they can replicate this writing and visual literacy program at any school level.
Graphic Novel Award Ceremonies
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Will Eisner Graphic Novel Grants for Libraries
Sponsored by Diamond Book Distributers and funded by the Will and Ann Eisner Family Foundation, the Will Eisner Graphic Novels Grants for Libraries feature two annual grants: the Will Eisner Graphic Novel Growth Grant which is provided to support a library that would like to expand its existing graphic novels services and programs, and the Will Eisner Graphic Novel Innovation Grant which provides support to a library for the initiation of a
graphic novel service, program, or initiative.
Administered by ALA's Games and Gaming Round Table and the Graphic Novels & Comics in Libraries Member Initiative Group, the award ceremony will be held Saturday, June 24th from 6pm - 8pm in the Columbus AB Room at the Hyatt Regency Chicago during the ALA Annual Conference.
SEE-It Awards
Announced earlier this year, EBSCO Information Services partnered with the Graphic Novel Committee of the Children's Book Council to create the SEE-IT Award. The acronym stands for Stories Engagingly Expressed-Illustratively Told, and is meant to recognize the cultural and literary impact of youth graphic novels. Finalists for the SEE-It award were decided based on four main criteria: literary quality, interweaving of art and story, lasting impact and distinguished contributions
to the format and youth literature, and an audience range of K-12 (or young readers through young adult).
Finalists for the 2017 SEE-It Award were announced as follows:
The Imitation Game: Alan Turing Decoded by Jim Ottaviani and Leland Purvis
Light by Rob Cham
March: Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell
The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks and Jordie Bellaire
Rendez-vous in Phoenix by Tony Sandoval
Snow White: A Graphic Novel by Matt Phelan
The winner of the SEE-It award will be announced at the 2017 ALA Annual Conference in June. For more information on the finalists and jurors, click here.
*Bold denotes Diamond publisher
The Graphic Novel Resource
for Educators & Librarians