"They're So Stinkin' Popular, How Could You Say No?" Graphic Novel Collection Development and School Librarian Self-Censorship

Moeller, R. A. & Becnel, K. E. (2020) “They’re so stinkin’ popular, how could you say no?” Graphic novel collection development and school librarian self-censorship. The Library Quarterly, 90(4), 515-529. https://doi.org/10.1086/710262

Librarians often engage in self-censorship pertaining to graphic novels, primarily driven by a feeling of professional insecurity and “fear of their occupational livelihood.” Most of the challenged books are those with school-aged audiences, and several are graphic novels partly because of the captivating images, which are more visceral than words. In addition, a majority of challenged books contain LBGTQIA+ themes. 

A total of twenty elementary and middle school librarians were interviewed for this study, and the following themes emerged from the interviews.

• Librarians are discreetly establishing hidden sections within collections where students must specifically request specific titles to check them out or are labeled to indicate there is “questionable content” contained in the book.

• Some librarians use direct censorship by covering up images to make them “cleaner.”

• Librarians are more cautious in selecting graphic novels for the collection because they find it riskier. 

• Librarians are preempting challenges from the community, especially in more conservative districts. They often rely on other librarians’ advice and experience with a title and warnings from vendors. Unfortunately, few participants used professional reviews when making decisions about graphic novels. 

• Most librarians need help understanding graphic novels and initially thought books with images would be friendly for all children. 

• Some librarians recognize the importance of the freedom to read and the value of graphic novels in improving literacy. 

Librarians who encounter book challenges are significantly influenced in their purchasing choices. Graphic novels are the most circulated materials in the collections and assist struggling readers and visual learners. Therefore, they should be considered an integral component of the library’s diverse reading materials and included in its collection development. We, as librarians, must stay firm on the frontlines of censorship to provide our patrons with the broadest possible range of viewpoints and opinions.