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South Carolina Non-Profit Provides Manga Library for Local Cons

While larger anime conventions can rely on industry support to provide free manga reading libraries for their attendees, smaller conventions don't always have that resource. Fortunately, for conventions located near the Carolinas, they can count on Laura Mehaffey and her dedicated team.

For almost a year, Mehaffey and her small staff have been providing regional anime and manga fans with the chance to peruse the library's growing collection of manga and graphic novels. Founded in 2013, the Carolina Manga Library is dedicated to promoting literacy amongst fans of all ages, providing a traveling collection of over 1,000 books from over 100 series.

Touted as the South's "first traveling graphic novel and Japanese manga library," the Carolina Manga Library sets up its collection at various regional anime conventions, giving fans who might otherwise not have access to such a diverse selection the chance to discover new series. The goal? To show younger fans that reading can be fun, and to show that reading manga and graphic novels can be a good way to improve literacy for all ages.

For those in South Carolina, the library will be making its next appearance this upcoming weekend at Nashicon, which takes place from April 19-20 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. The library is also planning on going to Charlotte, NC in July for Hoshicon, as well as Columbus, OH in August for Matsuricon.

To check out more information about this organization, and for information on how to donate your manga or graphic novels, check out their website here.