The Small Press Expo (SPX) has announced the gift of $5000 in graphic novels to the Enoch Pratt Free Library of Baltimore, Maryland. In a ceremony held this past Tuesday in the boardroom of the main branch of the Pratt Library in downtown Baltimore, SPX Executive Director Warren Bernard presented CEO Dr. Carla Hayden and members of her staff with the books.

Dr. Carla Hayden commented on the gift:

We are so honored and delighted that Small Press Expo has chosen the Pratt Library as this year’s recipient of their Graphic Novel Gift. It’s important to emphasize that reading is fun. Sometimes students get so busy they forget that there’s more to reading than just school texts.

This years gift of over 240 books comprising 40 different titles were chosen by the Pratt Library Collection Management Department and will be sent out to all the branches in the system.

SPX would like to thank Fantagraphics, Drawn & Quarterly, Adhouse Books and Top Shelf for their aid in supporting this important program.

The SPX Graphic Novel Gift Program is an expansion of the philanthropic and charitable endeavors that are part of its corporate charter, and is in addition to SPX’s annual support to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. The targets of this program are public and academic library systems in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area as selected by the Small Press Expo.

The goals of this new program are:

• Facilitate the availability of graphic novels to readers of all ages utilizing public and school libraries.
• Promote learning and literacy through the availability of graphic novels at local libraries.
• Provide library systems with additional resources by which they can purchase graphic novels and comics.

This years special bookplate contains art by artist and illustrator Adrian Tomine, whose work graces the covers of The New Yorker. The special bookplate were placed on all of the books donated by SPX. To see the book plate and for more information on the SPX Graphic Novel Gift Program, you can head to their website http://www.spxpo.com/graphic-novel-gift-program.