A school librarian’s journey through manga collection development

Aug 21, 2026

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Jillian Rudes, an active school librarian in New York City, explains manga’s history and why it holds real literary value for school libraries. The guide demystifies common misconceptions and offers practical, actionable strategies for building and promoting meaningful manga collections while addressing challenges that may arise. It also highlights how manga supports reading engagement, visual and verbal literacy, critical thinking, and reflection on themes, characters, and artistic choices.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Snapshot

What Is Manga?

Manga formats and publishing

Manga literacy

Reading benefits and learner support

Visual literacy skills

Verbal literacy and comprehension

Literary analysis and reflection

A school librarian’s journey through manga collection development By Jillian Rudes Snapshot Jillian Rudes, an active school librarian in New York City, describes the world of manga outlining its history and its value. Rudes shares how school libraries can build and promote meaningful collections of this fascinating format offering a range of helpful, practical suggestions and lists. The demand for manga is at an all-time high! Yet, many school librarians fear collecting manga because of the misconceptions that surround this format. As the Japanese culture and manga librarian for the New York City Department of Education, I am here to demystify manga, to inform you about the literary value of manga, to help you build your manga collection, and to provide you with tips for handling manga challenges. What Is Manga? Manga (pronounced mahn-gah) are comics originally published in Japan. They are read right to left and are often published in black and white. Manga is sold in tankobons (individual volumes) so that readers can access multiple chapters of a series in one book. These multiple chapters usually first appear in installments in Japanese magazines so publishers can test the waters and see if the manga series is worth continuing. Manga series can have multiple tankobons, and since both space and budgets in school libraries are limited, it is essential school librarians consider this while building the collection. Manga is often created to target a specific demographic of readers. Shojo (young girl) is manga that targets a female readership ages 10+ . Shojo manga often focuses on interpersonal connections and building relationships. It guides readers through an understanding of mutual love, trust, respect, and friendship. Romance is a key theme inshojo manga and ranges from innocent childhood crushes to more-complex teenage love triangles. Shojo manga also focuses on personal growth and allows readers to partake in self-exploration so that they may find self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-empowerment. Exploring identities is also another key theme in shojo manga, including sexual identity, gender roles, and other issues that female readers face. Shonen (young boy) is manga that targets a male readership ages 10+ . Shonen manga often focuses on themes of heroism and bravery that align with the hero’s journey. Characters in shonen manga face a call to action, embark on an adventure from the known to the unknown, face tests and dangerous obstacles, and then hopefully return home having achieved their goal and gained wisdom or power. Characters change on this journey; they come of age, mature, and learn something that enriches them and others. Characters in shonen manga can take this journey alone, or they can be joined by a team of comrades that support them. Shonen manga teaches readers that life is about growing, learning, and persevering. Manga literacy Readers should have access to manga in their school libraries because of the epic and emotional storytelling, the breathtaking and unique artwork that depicts the thoughts and emotions of characters, the transformative and relatable stories about humanity, and the endless amounts of character types, plots, conflicts, and genres. There really is something for everyone in manga! It is essential that school librarians accept manga as real reading; doing so allows readers to personally invest and engage in the act of reading manga, which can lead to a lifelong love of reading. Adults who frown upon students reading manga may negatively impact their motivation to continue to read. Manga not only engages a community of readers, it can also create new readers, especially younger, reluctant, and/or struggling readers. Manga increases reading engagement and can allow readers to feel confident about their reading and discussing what they have read. Manga readers are the most dedicated and voracious readers. They read more because there are multiple volumes

FAQs

Why do many school librarians hesitate to collect manga, and how does the guide address this?

The guide notes that demand for manga is high, yet misconceptions create fear around collecting it. It clarifies manga’s literary value and provides strategies to demystify the format and handle related challenges.

What is manga, and how are tankobons and chapters typically published?

Manga are comics originally published in Japan, read right to left and often issued in black and white. Series are sold as tankobons that compile multiple chapters, which first appear as installments in Japanese magazines.

How does manga literacy support students beyond entertainment?

Manga supports visual literacy (reading direction, frames, bubbles, and Japanese visual language), verbal literacy and comprehension, and higher-level critical thinking through analysis of plot, theme, symbolism, and character development.

Aug 21, 2026

Upload by Angel