The Lycoming County Library System recently added a new online platform for readers of comics, graphic novels and manga called Comics Plus.
Comics Plus, powered by LibraryPass, is a digital platform offering thousands of digital comics, graphic novels and manga to readers using a smartphone, tablet, or web browser, and can be downloaded to multiple devices.
Comics Plus offers access to more than 20,000-plus titles to users with a library card from one of the six libraries within the Lycoming County Library System, including James V. Brown Library.
There are three access points for Comics Plus:
• Children – Geared toward readers in grades K-5, ages 5-10, this collection features traditional comic books and manga with simplified panel layouts and content similar to G-rated movies, while reflecting age-appropriate experiences.
• Teen – Geared toward readers in grades 6-12, ages 11-17, this collection features comic books, manga, hybrid prose/comics and more sophisticated panel layouts. The content includes story intensity, action, and violence equivalent to a typical PG-13 movie. Readers in this range are often reading for pleasure, so stories can build on school lessons from a full range of subjects, including history and science, and can expose them to diverse experiences, encourage them to think about other people’s lives and viewpoints, or teach them about different times and places.
• Adult – For adults ages 18 and older. This collection includes explorations of mature themes with language and imagery appropriate for audiences 18 and over, similar to an R-rated movie or prestige TV show. Some titles may contain violence, blood, or even explicit gore, but pornographic content is not included.
Guy LeCharles Gonzalez, LibraryPass’ Chief Content Officer, said the Top 20 titles for 2022 were dominated by franchises popular with younger readers like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Big Nate, Minecraft, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Stranger Things, along with popular creator Svetlana Chmakova.
To access Comics Plus from the Brown Library website, visit jvbrown.edu and select “Online Resources” and then under “Digital Resources,” select the appropriate age category.
This is one of the many ways the library supports the PA Forward Initiative by providing information literacy opportunities for learning. When Pennsylvania residents know how to use current technology to improve their education and enhance their skills, they can fully participate in a digital society.
The James V. Brown Library is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. To place a hold, visit http://www.jvbrown.edu or call 570-326-0536 during the library’s operating hours. Walk-in passport services are available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
The James V. Brown Library, 19 E. Fourth St., Williamsport, Pa., is the place to go to learn, connect and grow. Founded in June 1907, the library champions the love of reading, opens new doors to lifelong learning, provides a haven to those who seek and ensures the preservation of public library services for future generations. The library has more than 225,000 visitors in a year and circulates a half-million items annually. A member of the Lycoming County Library System, the James V. Brown Library participates in PA Forward, a statewide initiative to promote literacies in our communities to power a better future for everyone.
