The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Library and Museum is an extraordinary treasure and one of the few museums dedicated to comics in the world. Started in 1977, the collection has grown to 300,000 original cartoons, 45,000 books, 2.5 million comic strip clippings and newspaper pages, and more than 5,000 cartoonists’ biographical files, including handwriting samples. The library serves students, researchers and teachers, and the library and museum are free and open to the public.
The library contains irreplaceable collections housed in a tightly-secured, temperature-controlled archive. Visitors to the reading room are highly encouraged to call ahead to request materials two days in advance. The library includes the San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection with materials dating back to 1893, the International Museum of Cartoon Art Collection from the former museum founded by Beetle Bailey creator Mort Walker and the Bill Watterson Deposit Collection…YES! THE ENTIRE COLLECTION OF BILL WATTERSON’S CALVIN AND HOBBES IS HOUSED HERE!
The library and museum’s namesake comes from an influential cartoonist who worked for the Columbus Dispatch newspaper. Billy Ireland stayed true to his roots and never left Ohio while helping advance the careers of others, like Milton Caniff who later helped start Ohio State’s comics collection and once graced the cover of Time magazine. In the image above, Ireland editorialized the blight caused by Columbus’ flood of 1913. Sketches that Ireland created to visualize a new downtown riverfront have been used to inform Columbus’ stunning Scioto Mile, demonstrating Ireland’s continued influence and cartoonists’ importance to civic engagement.
Librarian Caitlin McGurk believes in the transformative power of comics and is a strong advocate for the art form’s appreciation. Caitlin teaches classes on English, history, art, women’s studies, theology, psychology and ESL, pairing the needs of Ohio State’s students with cartoon collections. Previously the head librarian of Vermont’s Center for Cartoon Studies, Caitlin is driven to give greater exposure to the art and artists that may otherwise be forgotten or marginalized. She actively partners with her Ohio State colleagues and the community to extend cartooning’s legacy.
The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum is an indispensable resource for understanding the perceptions of popular culture, societies, nationalism and gender spanning over 100 years across multiple contents. At every turn, the library, museum and staff offer a path to exploration and discovery. We highly recommend visiting their current exhibits, exploring their online exhibitions, meeting award-winning speakers and joining them and others for the four-day, comics expo Cartoon Crossroads Columbus.
Columbus Metropolitan Library embarked on an amazing renovation of the Main Library building earlier this year. The library closed its doors and began the enormous project of transforming the beautiful and beloved building into a more welcoming, open and functional space. The Main Library, a Carnegie library, first opened its doors in 1907. The library has undergone five renovations since its opening, the last, completed in 1991 expanded the footprint of the building. This newest renovation will not increase the library’s square footage, but has been thoughtfully designed to create new open spaces, additional community meeting rooms and better access from outdoors.
Library Director of Marketing Gregg Dodd explained the reason for the renovation succinctly: libraries used to be about collections, now they are about connections. The renovation follows Columbus Metropolitan Library’s guiding principals of new buildings, which include transparency, flexibility, sustainability and customer experience. These principals are evident through the use of space, light, and technology within the building and in the system’s other projects (Whitehall, Parsons, Northern Lights, Shepard and Northside).
Dodd and Project Manager Fred Brock provided insight into the project, offering a sneak peek at the library, which is midway through the transformation. The entry area of the library has been opened up to create a larger space. The removal of the large staircase and transformation of the library’s back wall from brick to glass will provide a clear view from the front doors through to the new plaza and fountain at the rear of the building. The children’s space will feature a presentation area in the round to allow more visitors access to programs. Walls, both inside and out will be replaced with glass to create a brighter, more open environment. Additional meeting rooms and easily movable furniture will allow spaces to be transformed to optimize space for visitors needs. A breathtaking two-story reading room offers a beautiful view of Topiary Park and capacity for 700 seats, ideal for large programs. The changes all serve to offer better service to visitors and bring more people in to the library.
On June 25, 2016, the Main Library will celebrate their grand reopening. Visitors are invited to join in the celebration, which will feature live music, an outdoor movie and a visit from a famous author.
