Comic Books/Graphic Novels Handling Guidelines
Apply the following guidelines to comic strips, single-panel cartoons, comic books, and graphic novels. The document also covers non-fiction works written in comic book style. All titles written in comic book style should be left on the NLC cart to be revised by librarians, even when cataloged by LC and PCC libraries. Generally, copy catalogers only need to verify descriptive parts of the records and call numbers. Subject and genre headings will be checked by librarians.
"Fiction" comic works (Stories written in comic book or graphic novel style)
"Contents" 6 (Comics/graphic novels)
"Literary form" 1 (Fiction works)
Follow the guidelines below to use Dewey call numbers for materials acquired for the CH/YA collection; all CH/YA comic books/graphic novels are located in childcoll. Use LC call numbers for all other comic books and graphic novels.
1. Comic works with a single continuous fictional narrative (or a collection of several separate narratives): similar to novels (or short stories)
Use 741.5 subarranged by country notation (creator's nationality)
Example:
Japanese graphic novels 741.5952
U.S. graphic novels 741.5973
2. Comic strips or single-panel cartoons (e.g., Calvin and Hobbes, Doonesbury, Garfield, Peanuts)
Use 741.56 subarranged by country notation (creator's nationality)
Example:
Japanese comic strips 741.56952
U.S. cartoons 741.56973
LC policy is that all subject headings assigned should be subdivided by $v Comic books, strips, etc.
For juvenile works, assign an additional subject heading(s) subdivided by $v Juvenile fiction. Note that $v Juvenile fiction applies to fiction works for children and young people through high school age. For fiction works, catalogers should make sure that no other form subdivisions are added or interposed when using $v Comic books, strips, etc.
Example 1 (juvenile graphic novel)
650 _0 $a Cowboys $v Comic books, strips, etc.
650 _0 $a Cowboys $v Juvenile fiction.
650 _0 $a Horses $v Comic books, strips, etc.
650 _0 $a Horses $v Juvenile fiction.
Example 2 (adult graphic novel)
650 _0 $a Cowboys $v Comic books, strips, etc.
650 _0 $a Horses $v Comic books, strips, etc.
- 655 fields (genre/form headings)
1. Fiction comic works with a single continuous narrative (or a collection of several separate narratives) -- similar to novels (or short stories)
Assign 655 _7 $a Graphic novels. $2 lcgft (Note: Regardless of SCM H 1430, this genre/form heading should be used whether the work is created specifically for the publication in hand or complied for the publication after the individual parts, such as episodes and chapters, have been previously published elsewhere [e.g., Japanese comic books].)
2. Collections of comic strips or cartoons, comic books cataloged as serials, or serial comics that have been selected and cataloged as monographs as well as selected issues of serial comics that have been collected and republished as monographs
Assign 655 _7 $a Comics (Graphic works) $2 lcgft. Also assign this genre/form heading when in doubt.
3. Accept appropriate LCGFT headings (655 _7 $2 lcgft) found additionally on copy records.
"Nonfiction" comic works (Nonfiction works written in comic book or graphic novel style)
"Contents" 6 (Comics/graphic novels)
"Literary form" 0 (Nonfiction works)
Class such works with the subject, using Dewey or LC call numbers according to the collections for which they were acquired (e.g., 530.0207 or QC24.5 for a cartoon guide to physics).
LC policy is that all subject headings assigned should be subdivided by $v Comic books, strips, etc.
For juvenile works, assign an additional subject heading(s) subdivided by $v Juvenile literature. Note that unlike fiction works, $v Juvenile literature is used for nonfiction works intended for children up through the 9th grade (age 15).
Example 3 (Juvenile nonfiction comics)
600 10 $a King, Martin Luther, $c Jr., $d 1929-1968 $v Comic books, strips, etc.
600 10 $a King, Martin Luther, $c Jr., $d 1929-1968 $v Juvenile literature.
650 _0 $a Civil rights workers $z United States $v Biography #v Comic books, strips, etc.
650 _0 $a Civil rights workers $z United States $v Biography #v Juvenile literature.
650 _0 $a African Americans $x Civil rights $x History $y 20th century $v Comic books, strips, etc.
650 _0 $a African Americans $x Civil rights $x History $y 20th century $v Juvenile literature.
Example 4 (Adult nonfiction comics)
600 10 $a King, Martin Luther, $c Jr., $d 1929-1968 $v Comic books, strips, etc.
650 _0 $a Civil rights workers $z United States $v Biography #v Comic books, strips, etc.
650 _0 $a African Americans $x Civil rights $x History $y 20th century $v Comic books, strips, etc.
- 655 fields (genre/form headings)
1. Assign 655 _7 $a Comics (Graphic works) $2 lcgft
2. Accept appropriate LCGFT headings (655 _7 $2 lcgft) found additionally on copy records.
YT 09/10, 03/11, 02/13, 2018-10, 2022-04