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According to this posting on the Source, DC collections are adding LoC information and will be added to the library’s holdings. The Library of Congress has a few other comics connections of late, including an SPX collection, so the place of comics in the nation’s greatest library is clearly growing.

All graphic novels and collected editions published by DC Entertainment will include a page of cataloging information from the Library of Congress.

The Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections.

Beginning this Spring, with DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 collected editions including, JUSTICE LEAGUE Volume 1: ORIGIN by New York Times bestselling writer Geoff Johns and artist Jim Lee and BATMAN Volume 1: COURT OF OWLS by rising star Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo, as well as BATMAN: DEATH BY DESIGN written by superstar author and designer Chip Kidd with art by Dave Taylor and Vertigo’s highly anticipated GET JIRO! written by renowned chef, Anthony Bourdain and Joel Rose with art by Langdon Foss, DC Entertainment books will be now be part of that massive collection.

1 COMMENT

  1. Am I the only one who hopes that they go include their back catalog of classic material? I would hate for future generations to think that this batch of work is the “definitive” versions of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Justice League.

    Of course… in the grand scheme of things it wouldn’t matter one way or the other. But still. When they remember our collective geeky past, I want it to be MY past, not this new-fangled stuff by them kids with their rock-n-roll music and Eye-Pods and… HEY! You kids get off of my lawn!

  2. Um…

    DC should have been sending two copies of each book to the Library of Congress when they registered the copyright.

    Yup… searching catalog.loc.gov looks like they’ve been doing that:

    DATABASE: Library of Congress Online Catalog
    YOU SEARCHED: Keyword (match all words) = “Dc comics”
    SEARCH RESULTS: Displaying 1 through 100 of 3585.

    So that bit is hype. (LoC does the same with comics, but that collection is difficult to access.)

    Every comics publisher should be doing that. Dark Horse? Marvel? IDW? Image? Anyone? I don’t see recent copies of graphic novels in the collection.

    As for the Cataloging-In-Publication (CIP) data being printed in each book? Welcome to the Twentieth Century, DC! (Geez… I remember when Marvel and DC didn’t have barcodes on their graphic novels… )

    CIP data makes it easier for libraries to catalog the book. A publisher sends in a preliminary copy of the book, and the Library of Congress creates a cataloging record for that title, so that the data is available before the library acquires the book.

    Some publishers just state “CIP data exists for this book” on the title page verso (“the copyright page”), others print what looks like an entry from a library card catalog (a collection of index cards containing bibliographic data on the libraries holdings, indexed by author, title, subject, and call number).

  3. Mike, just so you know…

    1) The Library of Congress does “collect” comic books sent in via copyright registration. Many older copies have walked out the door, so what’s left is now under lock and key.

    2) Many research libraries have comics and graphic novel special collections. Start at Michigan State, then head over to Ohio State University.

    3) Public libraries love graphic novels, as they circulate until they fall apart! They won’t get rid of older volumes unless nobody wants to read them.

    4) The Library of Congress doesn’t circulate many volumes, so what they have remains in the collection forever (or until the British return).

  4. This is really great to see. There are some folks at the Library of Congress who have been working hard to grow the comics and graphic novel collections. Dark Horse, IDW and the rest would benefit because their books are now included and recognized by a major institution. Having that LOC code attached to your book helps more libraries justify purchasing and shelving your books. So, when the Library of Congress asks for more graphic novels and comics-send em!

  5. The LOC has been tremendously supportive of collecting independent comics worth through the SPX Collection, particularly Sara W. Duke (the LOC’s curator of popular and applied graphic art). As John mentioned, this is a huge endorsement of artistic work in the comics form.

  6. Want your books in the Library of Congress?

    Register your copyright!

    http://www.copyright.gov/

    $50, and you get legal protection.
    Plus it’s good for eternity!

    After the book arrives at the Copyright Office and is registered, librarians come through and select titles for the collections. Textbooks (except American History), coloring books, manuals, and most self-published books (but not small press) get sent to the cornfield. Most everything else finds a place within the collections.

    Here’s how LoC acquired items in 1997:
    http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9709/acquire.html