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Forum - View topicThis Week in Anime - Libraries are Fun!
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TheSeventhSense
 Posts: 117 |
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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
Posts: 7 |
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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
Posts: 54 |
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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
 Posts: 4671 |
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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
 Posts: 598 |
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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
 Posts: 4830 |
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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
 Posts: 6513 Location: Katy, Texas, USA |
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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).
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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milkyy
 Posts: 170 |
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As a super depressed isolated kid who had to do homeschool work at the library... discovering FMA when I was 9 changed my life forever. They also had Fruits Basket, Vampire Knight, the odd xxxHolic, Spice and Wolf, the Haruhi Suzumiya manga, even 1 of the Kino's Journey light novels. I also rented Spirited Away and Porco Rosso on DVD there. I was so supremely blessed for that little library room and the YA librarian who gave my sister and I free food when she could, I think she could tell there was some neglect going on and always treated us so kindly. Being able to read manga created a lifelong journey into absorbing everything I could about Japanese culture, learning hiragana and katakana, and giving me incredible stories that stick with me forever. I <3 the library and God bless all the librarians out there, you are cherished, and make a bigger impact then you know!
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Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18508 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
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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
 Posts: 904 Location: Southern California |
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We are talking about libraries and there is no mention of this gem? 
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
Posts: 56 |
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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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Gem-Bug
 Posts: 1335 |
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Been a library worker for over a decade(7ish years public system, currently academic), and I have fond memories of reading early Viz/Tokyo Pop graphic novels in my old local public library branch! Probably had a hand in leading me to my career path, honestly.
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RiderMurdock
Posts: 9 |
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I tend to be the other side:
Long forgotten manga hiding in the corner of my closet? Donate to the library? Got 42 volumes of Dragon Ball? Donate to the library! Accidentally double ordered a light novel - donate to the library! Also libraries accept video games as donations too - so ... I've tended to do that as well. State of California has a super interlibrary loan that allows for very VERY remote library lending - it's been helpful - especially in finding Library copies of things that are otherwise out of print on disc! TL;DR Support your library! |
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dm
 Subscriber Posts: 1481 |
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Yes, Magus of the Library is a great (and sadly unreviewed here) series, with a cast of dozens of interesting characters with a library full of back-stories. |
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MagicConan14
 Posts: 16 |
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Seconding (thirding?) Magus of the Library. I've only read a few volumes, but they're great.
I think Kanopy is available where I am (outside the US), but its selection wasn't great from what I remember when I perused it during the COVID period. On the other hand, I happen to live near a library with a well-stocked manga selection (and the occasional anime disc), have gone out of my way to find manga at other libraries and have volunteered for 2 libraries (one specifically called a "manga library"), so I've never really been left wanting for anime, manga and the like in my lifetime. I remember talking to some people in the US via my blog circa 2017 and was surprised to hear this wasn't the norm... My tips for anime and manga hunters at the library are 1) if there isn't a specific section for these things, they may be shuffled in among other items, although what items they are will depend on what it is you're looking for. For example, if you peruse the adult novel shelves, there is a chance you'll stumble upon a novel/LN related to an anime/manga in English if you look hard enough, like The Tatami Galaxy, Vampire Hunter D or Battle Royale, or you can even find manga or LNs/novels in other languages if you can read them and 2) for information on anime and manga in the non-fiction section such as Anime: A History by Johnathan Clements, check Dewey decimal numbers around the 770s. |
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