I don't want to sound dismissive, but...

... that's rather like saying, I don't know, "I want to compile a list
of essential films."

"Manga" is a hugely prolific form of literature which comprises almost
a century's worth of titles, covering every conceivable genre and
audience and interest, from wordless comics for small children to
erotica for adults, from fantasy to romance to comedy to food to
sports to self-help to history to business plans to textbooks to...

In the US, it also usually includes titles from China and Korea and
also manga-influenced Western graphic narratives (sometimes called OEL
or Original English Language).

It would help to know what your intended audience is (children?
younger teens? older teens? adults?) and the purpose of the collection
(popular titles and high circulating items? a survey of the breadth of
offerings?  A history of its development? Classics of the field? Award
winners? Those that push the boundaries?)

Above all, it would help to know the budget and space you have
available.  You could easily sink thousands of dollars into buying the
"essentials"; and since many of the most popular and influential
titles are long running series with up to a hundred volumes, you will
have to make decisions about how far into each series you will
purchase.

Plus, many of the most influential titles are not translated, or are
no longer in print (although many are being re-issued, in handsome --
and expensive! -- editions).  They tend to fall out of print quickly,
so you will have to decide up front what you are going to do if you
find yourself with volumes 3, 5-9, 17-25 of a well circulating series,
and no ability to easily replace the missing volumes.

I don't want to be negative;  I love manga, and think that a good
collection is essential for every library (like films, and music,
and...)  I recommend thinking about the scope and audience you want
for your collection, and then consult some of the excellent recent
collection development guides for Graphic Novels, almost all of which
will have sections for manga.

On Tue, Aug 9, 2016 at 1:55 AM, Thom Whom
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hello Subscribers!
>
> I'm hoping you everyone can help me compile a list of essential manga as well as some non-traditional choices. I want a super diverse collection.
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> ########################################################################
>
> To unsubscribe from the FICTION_L list, click the following link:
> https://listserver.cuyahogalibrary.net/scripts/wa.exe/scripts/wa.exe?TICKET=NzM2MjE1IGtsZXNsZXlrQEdNQUlMLkNPTSBGSUNUSU9OX0wgIH28zT4YrzL1&c=SIGNOFF



-- 
-- Lesley Knieriem
   Rogers Public Library
   Rogers AR

Nunc adeamus bibliothecam, non illam quidem multis instructam libris,
sed exquisitis. -- Erasmus

########################################################################

To unsubscribe from the FICTION_L list, click the following link:
https://ccpllists.cuyahogalibrary.net/scripts/wa.exe?SUBED1=FICTION_L