The staff at McPherson College's Miller Library in Kansas has come up with a unique information literacy tool: zombie attack.
The library has just released an online 23-page library guide in graphic novel format called Library of the Living Dead that features students taking cover in the library from zombies run amok on campus, and the flight to safety becomes a point of departure for a blood-stained lesson, replete with decapitations, in the Dewey Decimal system and other library tools.
Matt Upson, the director of library services, is the sole librarian at Miller, and he realized last fall that he and his small staff were spending a lot of time answering basic questions about library use.
"We don't have any standardized information literacy requirements, and we don't have the manpower to address those needs on a traditional basis, such as going to freshman seminar courses," he told LJ. "We found a lot of students coming in as freshmen just don't have the info literacy you would expect, but opening the door for them by providing this comic, by presenting the library and librarians in a unique way, by shifting the students' mindset and feeding them the info in this one-shot resource, it's hopefully going to relieve us of some of our burden," Upson said.
A scene from "Library of the Living Dead."
Last fall, he and Mike Hall, an assistant librarian and full-time student, began talking about ways to promote information literacy. They rejected their first idea, a video, because again manpower (and money) were lacking to produce "a high quality resource."
Hall has an extensive background as an illustrator of small press comics, including being an original partner in Ape Entertainment. That skill set generated a eureka moment for both Hall and Upson.
"We were disappointed we couldn't do it as a film," Hall told LJ. "But the idea of doing it as a comic was very exciting, although it should have been apparent given my background."
Upson and Hall collaborated on the story line, which includes a desperate flight through the stacks during which the characters, who are modeled on real students and staff members, incinerate zombies while simultaneously doing research (Zombies in Haitian myth? "Religion...the 200s. Follow me."
The comic also features the library building itself, which Hall said presented a unique drawing challenge.
"There are some architectural oddities in this building that were hard to capture on the page," he said. "There is a central stairway that connects all the floors, and it probably was the most difficult perspective shot I've ever had to do. Given how many years I've been doing this kind of thing, that's saying something."
After the zombie tale concludes, the comic pivots neatly into a straight-forward section about call numbers, the catalog, the library layout, and other points.
The online edition, with coloring by Dustin Evans, was posted March 25, and the library has ordered 200 print copies that will be available in the fall semester. The total cost was about $1000, which was paid for with a small grant from the South Central Kansas Library System and Miller Library funds.
The guide is going to be featured in an April 7 presentation at the Kansas Library Conference in Topeka.
"Since we've released it online we've had a lot of students say 'Wow, this is great," Upson said. "I've been pleasantly surprised by the reaction."
Reader Comments (26)
This is awesome. I am sharing it with colleagues. Nice job!
Posted by Myrna on March 30, 2011 12:59:40PM
I think this sounds fantastic! I'm an information management student, and you can bet I'll be sharing it with all my fellow students.. plus I want a copy for myself!
Great work in thinking outside the square.
Posted by JessB on March 30, 2011 11:37:26PM
I so totally want to buy a copy. Dear Miller Library, please
make them available for online purchase, even if only as a
vaguely expensive print-on-demand service :o)
(PS: Yes, purchase. Whilst it'd be lovely to get it for free,
I want to pay for it, please; libraries have enough trouble
with funding without British freeloaders wanting their awesome
zombie goodness gratis ;o)
Posted by Owen Blacker on March 31, 2011 06:16:49AM
Dear Library Director,
This is outstanding and creative work! Willing to purchase a copy for our library when it becomes available.
Alice Chavez, Librarian
Posted by Alice M. Chavez on March 31, 2011 01:12:05PM
This is a FANTASTIC idea! Congrats on seeing this project
through with such clear (zombie) execution! Very impressive.
Posted by Katy on March 31, 2011 01:20:56PM
BRAVO to Matt & Mike!!! What a GREAT teaching tool!!
And VERY well done - love the artwork, use of color, and the instructional breakdown after the graphics(!) Will be sharing this with my co-workers here in Missouri(!)
Now, like JessB & Owen above, I'd love to have a copy for myself!! Please let the world know when/IF 'Library of the Living Dead' will be available for off-campus folk to acquire.
Posted by Lucy on March 31, 2011 04:06:37PM
To anyone interested in obtaining a copy of Library of the Living Dead: contact Matt through his website http://upsonlibrarian.weebly.com/
or follow him on Twitter @thunderbrarian
Thanks for all the great comments!
Posted by Matt Upson on March 31, 2011 05:21:27PM
I love this idea and I would also be interested in pruchasing a copy. Inspired!
Posted by Debra Bogart on March 31, 2011 03:26:17PM
What a great idea! Well done. Online purchase would be fantastic, this would be a valuable tool to use with our students. Please make available to Australian purchasers.
Posted by Jen Johnson on March 31, 2011 06:23:35PM
Yes, I would also like to encourage you to make this available for a fee. This is brilliant! I would love to be able to share it with my students!
Posted by Lisa P on March 31, 2011 08:48:08PM
Fabulous job! What an innovative idea, I love it.
Posted by Joy on March 31, 2011 10:52:32PM
Every library should have a Zombie Apocylpse survival plan. This has great video game potential. Who wouldn't rather fight Zombies than attend database vendor training webinars?
Posted by Sarah Kuperman on April 1, 2011 08:58:40AM
How very clever and creative! Just the sort of thing that appeals to high school and college students.
Posted by Jacqueline Seewald on April 1, 2011 09:26:06AM
Outstanding collaborative effort! Love it!
Posted by Bulldog Librarian3 on April 1, 2011 10:56:45AM
Please, I want a copy also! Sounds great--I love the idea of a graphic novel to teach information literacy!
Posted by Debra M. on April 1, 2011 04:41:44PM
This is fantastic - I want to share with my middle-school age son and his friends, I'll be e-mailing Matt shortly.
Posted by Rosemary Kiladitis on April 3, 2011 05:08:22PM
Brilliant, thanks for putting a smile on my face and a new idea for library promotion to students in my head.
Posted by Pam Riley on April 4, 2011 07:22:25AM
Print-on-Demand would be fantastic!
I would love to purchase 100 copies to give all attendees of our annual library conference, the Ohio Library Support Staff Institute.
Posted by Michael Bradshaw on April 4, 2011 09:29:10AM
I'm agreeing with JessB - I'd pay for my copy too, please!!
Posted by Leesa on April 4, 2011 08:08:22PM
very cool, I've shared with my team members.
Posted by Julia on April 4, 2011 08:16:21PM
I agree! I want to buy one, too!
Posted by aforr71 on April 5, 2011 02:13:14PM
Totally want a copy. Great idea, great format!
Posted by Roberta Bibbins on April 5, 2011 03:38:25PM
I LOVE it!
Posted by Pam on April 7, 2011 12:37:00PM
I would love to see this, is there any thought to make it available for purchase, including for those of us not in the USA
Posted by Kym Andrews on April 8, 2011 01:17:24AM
Ingenious! Will it be available to purchase?
I'd love to see it.
Posted by Sally Jones on April 11, 2011 02:21:55PM
For those interested, Library of the Living Dead is now available here:
http://cmichaelhall.com/books.html
