“Books are mirrors when readers see their own lives reflected in the pages. Books are windows when they allow readers a view of lives and stories that are different from their own. Books become sliding glass doors when readers feel transported into the world of the story and when they feel empathy for the characters.”
That quote by Rudine Sims Bishop sums up the philosophy of Alora Bauer and the work she does in the Poplar Bluff Public Library.
Most recently, Bauer said she is happy to see different patrons of the library enjoy the most recent exhibit for the month of February. As February is Black History Month, the library put together an exhibit featuring black superheroes.
“Our facilities Manager Josh Bishop collaborated with Ken’s Comics here in Poplar Bluff to do that,” Bauer said. “I do know that we have many patrons of color, and the exhibit seems to have gotten a lot of positive attention.”
Bauer went on to explain she understands the purpose of representation in different forms of media, and how that affects children.
“”From a library perspective, we talk about literature being a reflection of lives and experiences,” Bauer remarked. “So, when you have a more visual form of literature — like comic books — and a child can see someone like themselves as a hero, it’s really encouraging.”
Bauer noted the comics and graphic novel section of the library has continued to increase in popularity among patrons.
“I know that when we remodeled, the comic book area is one of the few areas we made a little more room for,” Bauer noted. “I definitely think that section — especially the Young Adults section — is getting the most traffic. We have some graphic novels there that are extremely popular.”
Bauer noted comics could very well be considered a “gateway” experience for reading.
“We definitely recommend comics to reluctant readers,” Bauer explained. “Some people just genuinely don’t like to read. But sometimes, maybe comics can help alter that a little.”
As for the display of black heroes: it ended Thursday, but the library continues to offer a wide variety of comics and graphic novels.