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About This Course
Strengthen literacy with books your readers already love.
On-Demand Materials:
Available starting March 11, 2026.
Access all course modules and materials for 6 months after course start date.
With literacy rates continuing to decline in the U.S., how can we engage young readers who aren’t picking up traditional books? In this self-paced online course, you’ll learn how to use the power of manga’s visual storytelling and wide appeal to support reading development in pre-teens and teens.
Get hands-on ideas for manga-based programs and events, learn how to use manga in direct reading instruction, and find creative ways to apply it across other subject areas. By the end of this course, you’ll have a toolbox of practical, ready-to-use ideas to strengthen reading engagement in your school or community.
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Return to Full Course Catalog
AFTER YOU ATTEND THIS COURSE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO:
- Identify and differentiate key manga genres, formats, and stylistic conventions.
- Advocate for the value of manga in library collections.
- Build and manage a manga collection that is age-appropriate, diverse, and tailored to your readers.
- Plan manga-themed programs and events tailored to your community.
- Explore manga-based ideas to strengthen reading engagement, literacy development, and disciplinary learning.
THIS COURSE CONSISTS OF 4 ON-DEMAND MODULES:
Module 1: Manga 101
This foundational module provides you with essential knowledge to confidently integrate manga into your collections, programs, and literacy initiatives. You'll gain a comprehensive understanding of manga as a diverse and engaging genre, exploring its various formats, stylistic conventions, and key terminology. You’ll also learn how to effectively advocate for the inclusion and value of manga within your library collection, addressing common misconceptions and highlighting its significant role in fostering literacy and reading engagement among young readers.
Module 2: Manga Collections
Building any library collection involves the same steps—selecting, purchasing, labeling, shelving, and weeding—and manga is no different. In this module, you’ll learn about helpful resources that assist with selecting and purchasing manga that align with your readers’ interests. You’ll gather ideas for organizing and managing this unique collection type so your readers can discover stories that resonate with them. Whatever stage of collection development you are in—starting, expanding, or reviewing—you'll come away with new ideas for tailoring your manga collection to your community of young readers.
Module 3: Manga-Based Programs
Manga is a fantastic springboard for engaging library programs. This module will help you develop exciting manga-based events for children and teens in your school and community. You'll explore a wide range of program ideas and learn how to leverage this popular genre to foster a love of reading. Get ready to brainstorm ideas, consider classroom or community partnerships, and create programming plans that excite your diverse readers.
Module 4: Teaching with Manga
When thoughtfully included in collections, manga can enrich learning and foster literacy. This module equips you with the knowledge and tools to effectively integrate manga into diverse literacy development and educational contexts across multiple disciplines. You’ll explore tools for reader’s advisory and ideas for book talks, as well as lesson plans for classroom use. School librarians will learn how to partner with classroom teachers to design engaging lessons using manga as a relevant text, while public librarians will explore how manga is used in schools and how they can support it. By the end of this module, you'll be ready to champion manga as a powerful educational resource.
WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE
This course is for school librarians (grades 3–12) and public youth services librarians.
THIS WILL BE A SELF-PACED, ASYNCHRONOUS COURSE.
EXPECTED TIME COMMITMENT
This course includes 4 modules, each designed to take approximately 4 hours to complete. You can move through the content at your own pace and on your own schedule. You'll earn 16 hours of PD credit and a School Library Journal certificate of completion.
ON-DEMAND ACCESS
You will have access to the full course for 6 months from the course start date.
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
Complete the course and earn 16 professional development credit hours. We provide a certificate that is emailed to you.
SUPPORT
For support with online courses, please contact course-support@libraryjournal.com .
COURSE INSTRUCTORS
Sara Smith, District Librarian in California’s Central Valley
 Sara is the District Librarian in California’s Central Valley. Previously, she was a high school teacher librarian and a high school English teacher. She has read and professionally reviewed over 1,000 manga and graphic novels for multiple sources, including her website, The Graphic Library, where she provides collection development content for libraries, as well as Booklist and School Library Journal. She has written articles for California English, Diamond Bookshelf, and Booklist and is a frequent podcast guest on School Librarians United. Sara regularly speaks at conferences, including the annual conferences of the American Library Association and the American Association of School Librarians.
Emily Ratica, High School English Teacher in California
 Emily has been in education for over eighteen years as both a teacher and a school librarian. She holds a BA in English Teaching from BYU and an MLIS from San Jose State University. She currently teaches high school English in southern California, where she integrates comics, graphic novels, and manga into her curriculum. Emily is deeply passionate about literacy instruction and strongly believes that incorporating visual literacy through graphic literature is essential for student success.
DISCOUNTED RATES ARE AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY
Secure your tickets now to lock in the best price.
| Rate | Early Bird | Standard |
| Deadline |
February 9, 2026 |
March 11, 2026 |
| Ticket Price |
$249 |
$289 |
GROUP RATES
We offer discounts for groups of 3 or more.
For larger groups of 15 or more, we offer the option to apply group rates across multiple courses to receive significant discounts. For more information, select Bulk Course Credits Packages in the form below.
Request Discounted Group Pricing
For support with group purchases, please contact groupsales@libraryjournal.com .
TESTIMONIALS
"The content is shown in a very expressive and easily digestible way. I very much enjoy the images and examples. They are very helpful in understanding the differences in manga vocabulary and visual design."
– Fall 2025 attendee
"I finally feel like I am getting the kind of information about manga that I have been looking for! Very beneficial!"
– Fall 2025 attendee
"The course is giving me the information to make the manga section of my library more dynamic. The resources and ratings information are invaluable. Everything is presented in a straightforward and easy-to-understand way."
– Fall 2025 attendee
"Sara's lecturing style is very engaging and informative. I feel that the content of the course is building in a very nice way. The content is so relevant and I really feel as though I am gaining a lot of really great perspectives and insight."
– Fall 2025 attendee
"Excellent overview on promoting manga within the library world and working with school librarians. The information is tremendous and the experience from all the speakers shows that more than one person can make the process of promoting literacy a success."
– Fall 2025 attendee
"It was a pleasure taking this class. The instructor made the connection between literacy and manga easy to understand. Also, the interactions with classmates fostered a collaborative learning environment. Overall, it was an enjoyable and rewarding experience."
– Fall 2025 attendee
"I enjoy this instructor as her lectures are well set up, concise, and offer audio transcripts as well as closed captions. As a disabled person, these additional features allow me to access the materials regardless of whether I am able to watch the screen or not. She is inclusive and highly knowledgeable in her field."
– Fall 2025 attendee
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Register by January 29, 2026
4 On-Demand Course Modules
This course is most relevant for teacher-librarians in grades 8-12 and early college.
