All Sessions

This year ALAPlay combines gaming, comics, costumes, and your favorite Time Lords (and ladies)! We invite attendees to dress up in the style of the Doctors, Companions, aliens, and artifacts of Doctor Who OR with the gleaming gears, goggles, corsets and hats of the steampunk aesthetic. Feel free to combine the two (as fans know, Doctor Who has built in quite a bit of steampunk flair to its (?) universe over the years.) We welcome all kinds of costumes, from the simple to the more elaborate: we'd love to see fans takes on a Tardis dress or perhaps a Dalek hat. There are some excellent gender swapping opportunities out there as well -- why not a Time Lady instead of a Time Lord?

The point is to have fun! Games and activities will be provided by the Games and Gaming Round Table (GameRT) while the costumed fun will be led by the Graphic Novel Member Initiative Group.

Did we mention there will be prizes? Because there will. All attendees can enter our raffle at the door for exciting prize packs from a variety of publishers.

Oh, and this year we're kicking off a conference ribbon game called These Aren't the Droids You're Looking for (http://ala12.scheduler.ala.org/node/4292). To play, you'll need to come to ALAplay to get your game packet and ribbon.

Graphic novels bring to mind the stereotypical male superhero, swooping in and saving the damsel in distress. This perception of graphic novels is due, in part, to a history of male novelists writing specifically for a male audience. Unfortunately, focus on only the hero in graphic novels ignores the rise of the strong female protagonist, and of an increasing number of talented female authors and artists. Librarians who are expanding or creating a graphic novel collection are provided with criteria for evaluating the positive representation of women in these novels. An examination of how women have been represented historically in graphic novels offers librarians additional background helpful in selecting graphic novels that will appeal to girls. The poster enhances the presentation with enlarged pages from several recommended titles, visual representations of women through graphic novel history (1920-2012), and a timeline of the graphic novel's development. Resource lists and examples of recommended titles from multiple genres are provided.

Internationally renowned comics expert Scott McCloud leads a conversation with cartoonist Larry Marder about his iconic series of Beanworld graphic novels. Marder’s multifaceted stories have inspired readers of all ages to explore their own creativity through his reflections on mythology, art, science, advertising, and ecological interdependence. McCloud helps unlock the secrets of Beanworld in a lively dialogue with Marder, examining how this series of “most peculiar comic book experiences” delights library patrons of all levels, and more importantly, how it inspires them to deepen their own explorations across your shelves.
Larry Marder , Scott McCloud

Readers old and young have grown up fans of animation, cartoons, comics, and graphic novels. Given the renaissance in graphic novels in recent years, it’s no surprise that animators are turning to the printed page to tell their stories. Animation flourishes on TV and in film from Fairly Oddparents! to The Iron Giant to Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the rise of comics has led to all kinds of crossovers between traditional illustration, comics, and animation. Join a diverse panel of creators, including animators and comics creators, to discuss the state of animation and comics, how storytelling is both similar and different in each medium, and which stories belong on the screen or on the page (or both!).

Do you still need to convince others of the value of using graphic novels in your libraries and schools? If so, this session will provide you with research, circulation data, and strategies for justifying the use of graphic novels with patrons and students. A panel of graphic novel gurus will provide the ammunition you need to convince others of the validity of having graphic novels in your collections.

Speakers:
- Robin Brenner, Young Adult Librarian, Brookline Public Library, MA
- Karen Gavigan, Assistant Professor, School of Library and Information Science, University of South Carolina
- Kat Kan, School Librarian, St. John's Catholic School, Panama City, FL
- Robin Moeller, Assistant Professor, School of Library Science, Leadership and Educational Studies, Appalachian State University
- John Shableski, President of 4ColorPerspective, Consultant, Wildcat Comic Con

Business meeting of the Graphic Novels and Comics member Initiative Group. The group will discuss the status of ongoing projects and plans for future activities.