During ALA Annual 2018 held in New Orleans from June 21-26, the American Library Association formally announced the conversion of the Graphic Novel and Comics Member Intiative Group into a Round Table during their annual conference held in New Orleans this year. The Graphic Novel Round Table is the first new group to be approved in five years, and it "will allow for organization-wide engagement with professional and collection development, public outreach and advocacy, and internal mentorship, as well as furthering the cultivation of industry partnerships relating to the sequential art format in schools and libraries."

“The Graphic Novel Member Initiative Group has been one of the most active groups of its kind over the past eight years,” said Robin Brenner, Co-Convener and Organizing Committee member of the Graphic Novel MIG. “With the establishment of this Round Table, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to expand our outreach and tap into grassroots member support across all libraries and institutions.”

With the interest in the graphic novel as a literary format rising, librarians picked up sample comics and graphic novels, catalog codes for starting a graphic novel section, and additional swag from the Diamond booth and their participating publishers during the conference. The excitement continued on the Graphic Novel and Gaming stage where various panels provided information and guides to librarians for event hosting, purchasing decisions, and more!

Did you attend ALA Annual in New Orleans this year? If so, consider filling out our survey below for a chance to win graphic novels for your school or library!