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This Week in Anime - Libraries are Fun!




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TheSeventhSense



Joined: 09 Mar 2013
Posts: 108
PostPosted: Tue Nov 19, 2024 10:33 am Reply with quote
Library courier here! I bring in manga from the other 30+ libraries in our network on a pretty much daily basis. We have a decent selection here but one library in particular is good about buying every queer title that isn't M-rated for their teen collection. I also know that librarian regularly pushes and rebuys older titles for teens (Angel Sanctuary, Banana Fish, Basara, Red River).

The main thing I dislike about Hoopla is that their Android TV interface is absolute garbage. It's useable, sure, but not browsable or enjoyable in any way.

Some libraries also have Kanopy, which I noticed recently started adding some series from Sentai (Beyond the Boundary and Highschool of the Dead off the top of my head, as well as the Made in Abyss movies). Much nicer to browse and a collection that actually feels curated versus the junk dump with hidden gems that is Hoopla.
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SlimeDrawsNear



Joined: 05 Sep 2024
Posts: 6
PostPosted: Tue Nov 19, 2024 11:03 am Reply with quote
I've been quite pleased with my local library system. It not only has a lot of manga, but complete series. Longest I've read through my library is probably Kimi Ni Todoke at 30 volumes.

My library also has an online form to request library acquisitions, which I've used twice on anime/manga titles so far.

Currently reading Delicious in Dungeon from my library too.
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quoss



Joined: 08 May 2010
Posts: 52
PostPosted: Tue Nov 19, 2024 11:30 am Reply with quote
Explored two library systems in different states and the manga collections in both were always missing volumes and in such torn up condition, I wanted to keep hand sanitizer to hand after every page. Every now and then I'll check again to see if it's gotten better. What I'm really thirsty for is Spice & Wolf light novels... one day, somewhere...

Anyway, love the narrative of how important and valuable libraries are, especially considering ghastly circumstances. Smol anecdote: I did get to read the light novel of Qualia in Purple which was exquisite, by the way, and that led me to wanting to check out its inspiration, The Stars Our Destination. Library didn't have it; sent them a message using their website and they had bought it within the week. <3 now respond my spice & wolf mails......
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Greed1914



Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 4631
PostPosted: Tue Nov 19, 2024 11:41 am Reply with quote
I think libraries are going to be more open to manga requests than people might expect. The people there are increasingly aware of what it is, plus something that generates more interest in going to the library at all is a good thing for them.

Also, points for mentioning Read or Die.
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yeehaw



Joined: 09 Sep 2018
Posts: 562
PostPosted: Tue Nov 19, 2024 11:41 am Reply with quote
I work at a library and the library is split into two parts, the old building is for kids up to YA, and then a newer part is the adult section. They're split by a wall that has the adult comics and manga and I was working next to that when a class of kids came to get books when 3 little boys sneaked off to the adult comic shelf saying talking about how these books are really scary.
One of them grabbed volume one of Food Wars and I was like "Uh oh" But before I could react they opened it and went "Oh... No color." and dissapointedly put it back. They then examined the manga section a bit more
until one of them exclaimed "Oh! I get it! These are Pokemon books!"
They were then found by their teacher who told them to go back to the kid section,
but before that one of them had a book he didn't know were to put back so I told him I'd do it. As he handed me the book he helpfully informed me "It's Harry Potter".
It was The Portrait of Dorian Gray in russian
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Top Gun



Joined: 28 Sep 2007
Posts: 4795
PostPosted: Tue Nov 19, 2024 11:52 am Reply with quote
I don't think I've been in our local library since I was 12 or so, but I'm very glad they provide the services they do. We need them now more than ever.
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mdo7



Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 6382
Location: Katy, Texas, USA
PostPosted: Tue Nov 19, 2024 11:58 am Reply with quote
Nice topic you have here for This Week in Anime. Yes, I used libraries to borrow manga both physical and digital. My public library (both in MD/DC and Texas have physical manga for me to borrow, I've been borrowing manga from the public library since I became a anime/manga fan in 2006). In Texas, beside physical manga Tankōbon, I've borrowed several manga digitally aka in ebook format (provided by Libby, of course).

I'm glad you mentioned Hoopla because I registered for it last year, and thanks to Hoopla, I've been able to access and read not only manga, but also graphic novels that I couldn't find at the library or never had access to a particular titles (ie: obscure titles that only few people have heard of, and re-prints of older Golden & Silver Age comic).

So yeah, nothing can go wrong with library when it comes to accessing and borrowing particular manga titles (or if you're me, finding graphic novels and just plain old novels).

Top Gun wrote:
I don't think I've been in our local library since I was 12 or so, but I'm very glad they provide the services they do. We need them now more than ever.


Same here, except I've been to the local library since I was 5 or 6 years old and this was before I became an anime/manga fan, and way before manga became mainstream in the US.
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Key
Moderator


Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18450
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Tue Nov 19, 2024 1:00 pm Reply with quote
My heavy library use days predate my anime and manga fandom, but I've had reason to visit a few local libraries lately and have found the random selections of manga to be found there to be rather interesting. (Such as, for instance, Elfen Lied omnibus volumes that were NOT in an adult section.) A few months ago, I actually checked out a manga, which was the first time in possibly decades that I've checked out anything from a library.

And thanks for the heads-up about Hoopla and Kanopy, BTW. Hadn't head of those before, so I will investigate.
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Engineering Nerd



Joined: 24 Apr 2008
Posts: 903
Location: Southern California
PostPosted: Tue Nov 19, 2024 1:07 pm Reply with quote


We are talking about libraries and there is no mention of this gem? Anime hyper
Please give this manga a chance if you haven't......I don't use the phrase epic saga lightly and this is one of those works
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Jinbei



Joined: 12 May 2014
Posts: 56
PostPosted: Tue Nov 19, 2024 2:09 pm Reply with quote
what a wonderful episode on TIIA.. I'm a librarian from Helsinki, Finland, and the english language manga collection is heavily dependent on requests and knowledge of librarians like me who pester the people in charge of choosing comics with their endless wishlists..

Currently in Helmet libraries(Helsinki and neighboring towns of Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen) there are well over 4 thousand manga volumes in english and another couple thousand in Finnish.. Ever since my highschool days 20 years ago, i have been an active library goer, requesting both new and niche. Here's a link to the english manga collection we have: https://helmet.finna.fi/Search/Results?filter%5B%5D=%7Elanguage%3A%22eng%22&filter%5B%5D=%7Eformat%3A%221%2FBook%2FBook%2F%22&filter%5B%5D=%7Egenre_facet%3A%22Mangat%22&join=AND&bool0%5B%5D=AND&lookfor0%5B%5D=mangat&type0%5B%5D=AllFields&sort=main_date_str+desc%2Cid+asc&filter%5B%5D=%7Elanguage%3A%22eng%22&filter%5B%5D=%7Eformat%3A%221%2FBook%2FBook%2F%22&filter%5B%5D=%7Egenre_facet%3A%22Mangat%22&bool0%5B%5D=AND&lookfor0%5B%5D=mangat&type0%5B%5D=AllFields

I also host a manga club every other monday and help with choosing manga even to this day..

P.S If you're curious about what manga we have in Finnish go to tokio.fi and pick manga from the right and then all("kaikki") to see everything that has come out over 20+ years.. the names can be seen in japanese by clicking the title..
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