[Michlib-l] Light Novel Cataloging Responses

[Adkins, Melissa]

Hi All,
Thank you for all the responses I received regarding cataloging light novels. I've collected the responses and attached them here, as well as copied below. This seems to be a newer trend that we're experimenting with, so I am going to recommend to my collection development committee that we put them in with the graphic novels and see how it goes.

Thanks again for all the help!

Best,
Melissa Adkins
Librarian I, Youth Services
Dearborn Public Library

Light Novel Cataloging Responses

"Ours are in with our graphics collection (but only the Japanese/Korean Light Novels). I am now buying some for Tweens (as the teen ones are never on the shelf)." -Novi Public Library

"My library only has one light novel series (accidentally bought when buying manga) and I put it in our YA fiction section. Luckily our YA section is right next to our graphic novel section but I still wonder if they'd get a bit more notice in the graphic novel section, but they are completely not graphic novels as you point out so that is tough." -Warren Public Library

"I only have a few light novels, short stories collections, spinoff novels, etc. related to a manga series and I put them in with the graphic novels. They are not technically one but the people that are looking for the graphic novels and like a specific series might be interested in these items. I did originally have some of them in the regular YA fiction section and they just got lost (unless they were really popular) and never really checked out. I haven't had anyone complain about them in the graphic novel section that I am aware of.
On a side note, I am having the manga and western graphic novels put under the series title and it helps me keep the related (non-graphic novel) books together with the manga. Patrons and staff love it so far; patrons can never remember how to spell or say manga authors' names." -Lapeer District Library

"We have them in the graphic novel section and shelve them by series title.  If we have both the manga series and the light novel series we shelve the light novels after the manga series."-Benton Harbor Public Library

"We have just a few light novels, bought accidentally when trying to buy manga, and have placed them in the YA fiction section.  If I were going to purchase more, however, make a concentrated effort to expand that collection, I'd probably create a Manga/Light Novel specific section.  We already have our manga separated from the graphic novels, so it wouldn't be a tough add light novels.  Perhaps have labels that makes it clear which volumes are manga, and which are the light novels, just to help make sure they get what they want."-Southgate Veterans Memorial Library
"We have a few "light novels" in our collection. The one I can specifically think of off the top of my head is spun off from the Sword Art Online manga and anime series, though I think we have a few more as well. We do catalog ours in our standard YA fiction collection, not our graphic novels collection. They do appear to circulate well, despite not being shelved with our graphic novels and manga. I know some people aren't big fans of spine labels/classification stickers, but if you are, putting some kind of sticker to denote it as a light novel might help differentiate it from the rest of the fiction or manga/graphic novel collection." -Fennville District Library

"We catalog them with our regular fiction. I like the idea of having them with graphic novels to see if their circulations increase." -Fruitport District Library
"This may not be super helpful but manga has gotten very popular here as well. I have not had requests for LN but I accidentally ordered some thinking they were manga. These were Bond & Book<https://yenpress.com/9781975325749/bond-and-book/> (the cover was deceptive), which do not have a manga attached to them. When we realized what they were they were adopted by the YAfiction collection. We aren't sure what to do with them yet so this is a test run for them since the librarian that purchases the YAfiction has been thinking about purchasing some anyway. We were also talking about creating an offshoot in the teen area just for LN, after the Manga section but we only have the two books for now. They've only been here for 2 months and someone has them checked out. We have our manga separate from the graphic novels so I feel like if I was to purchase some LN that have manga I would have them in the manga but request a new spine sticker for LN to make them look different. I don't know if this helps at all but I hope you can find a solution that works for you and your collection." -Canton Public Library


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