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Conserving comic book heritage : the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

This article provides an introduction to the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum of the Ohio State University. This research library is dedicated to the study of North American cartoons and comic art and has important collections in such areas as the classic daily comics and the Sunday strips of the press. The library is also unique in its work in conservation, and the article analyzes the difficulties involved in conserving documents produced in what are traditionally considered popular, disposable media. It also examines one of the library’s collections, which gives the reader a sense of the variety and volume of the material held in this kind of institution.