Superheroes in the Stacks: Halloween ComicFest and Wichita State University

Abstract

Academic libraries’ graphic novel and comic book collections hold a wide appeal for both scholarly study and personal reading. Programming around these materials can attract diverse audiences to promote library services and resources in a distinctive way. Wichita State University Libraries hosted their first Halloween ComicFest in 2017 and it has grown into an annual event from the success of this initial endeavor. In this article, the authors discuss the challenges of planning and hosting a comic convention in an academic library as well as the potential benefits such events hold for both libraries and their patrons.