This week’s NewsBreak is an introduction to graphic medicine. Catch up on NewsBreaks’ coverage of graphic novels and comics: 

“The Lifeline to the Community,” part of A Day in the Life of Five Librarians, Part 8

April 5, 2022

Graphic novels have enjoyed a huge increase in popularity over the years, and, thankfully, the negative viewpoint toward them from parents and educators has decreased.

“Managing Big Community Events,” part of A Day in the Life of Five Librarians, Part 4

Nov. 5, 2019

In 2018, [Kate Smyth, the library development officer for Oldham Libraries,] worked on a Carnegie UK Trust/Wellcome Trust-funded project, Comics and Cosplay: Caring for Young Minds. It was focused on improving young people’s mental health, and we aimed to provide different activities and a tangible outcome. The project included the opportunity to share stories about mental health and contribute to a comic based on their lived experiences of anxiety, school pressure, and sexual identity.

 “The Avengers in the Stacks”

June 6, 2017

Which comic book adaptations are you planning to see at the movies this summer? There’s usually at least one, and this year, you’ve got DC’s Wonder Woman and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 and Spider-Man: Homecoming. If any of those options appeal to you, you’re the perfect candidate to get hooked on comic books—if you aren’t already, that is. After all, comics are a mainstream form of entertainment these days, and libraries have taken notice.

“Celebrating Diversity at ALA Midwinter”

Feb. 17, 2015

The conference officially opened with a lively discussion on the role of graphic novels in education during the ERT/Booklist Author Forum. Cece Bell (author of El Deafo), Françoise Mouly (the New Yorker’s art director), Jeff Smith (author of Bone), and Gene Luen Yang (author of American Born Chinese) spoke about their first encounters with comics and graphic novels, debated the merits of the medium being known as for “all ages,” lauded graphic novels as teaching tools, and discussed how the medium contributes to diversity in children’s literature.