Before I started illustrating comics, I worked in Purchasing at one of the largest book wholesalers in the world. Let me share three comics-related reasons why libraries are awesome! https://twitter.com/biblioclassic/status/1199812153189883904

Librarians are fantastic at hand-selling books. Hand-selling happens when someone knowledgeable listens to what you like to read and makes recommendations based on that. Or when someone has read something they loved and share it with you.

In a world where over a million new books are published each year, hand-selling cuts through the “noise” and helps folks discover gems they may never have found on their own.

Libraries are a great alternative to piracy. Can’t afford a book? Curious about a book but not sure you want to commit to buying it yet? Try it out for free with your library card—they often even have digital versions to download.

AND if you want a title your library doesn’t have, let your librarians know! They will almost always add it to their collection if possible. PLUS by checking out books, you’re helping the library buy MORE books, increasing the diversity of their titles.

Library purchases=money in the creator’s pocket. What a boring life this would be if there were no books, songs, poems, movies, games, tv. We want creators to be able to create! Believe me, we have mortgages and bills like everyone else.

Libraries offer all sorts of free workshops and classes. They aren’t JUST about books. I myself have taught workshops to help kids draw, teach kids how to make comics, teach kids ABOUT comics. I giving back to the community and libraries give me a way to do that.

Extra: libraries offer great, safe, useful places for kids to be after school. I’m constantly amazed at the teen spaces, programming spaces, audio-visual spaces the libraries in my community provide.

Extra, extra: for creators specifically. Getting your title into a library means that the metadata associated with it will be the most robust possible. That means customers (including stores and libraries) can find you easily, which is the key to sales these days. Win: win.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a small sampling of the reasons libraries are fabulous. On the day of thanks, in the US, I am very grateful for libraries.