The Ruth Lilly Medical Library has purchased a core collection of approximately 60 circulating graphic medicine titles to support IU School of Medicine learners who are interested in health humanities-related topics but may not be exposed to them through the school’s regular curriculum, and faculty who are eager to incorporate these new resources into their teaching, both in the classroom and the clinic.

Graphic medicine works come in many forms, from longer graphic novels that have been published in book format to shorter web-based comics or those that have been printed out for patient education in a clinical setting. The Ruth Lilly Medical Library's graphic medicine collection focuses primarily on the graphic novel format and other print works that feature personal accounts of illness and healthcare from the patient, patient family, or healthcare provider perspective. The items in the collection are primarily displayed and circulated at the library's space in the Medical Education Research Building (MERB) but may also be requested by all Indiana University-affiliated students, faculty, and staff via IUCat.

The term graphic medicine, introduced in 2007 by Dr. Ian Williams (physician, comic book artist, and founder of GraphicMedicine.org), has been broadly defined as “the intersection between the medium of comics and the discourse of healthcare” (https://www.graphicmedicine.org/why-graphic-medicine/). The person-centered narratives and illustrations included in graphic medicine works provide health science students and educators, clinicians, patients, family members, and caregivers with new perspectives and strategies for navigating diagnoses, illness, treatment, and other aspects of the health care experience. The combination of words and images within the graphic novel or comic medium lends approachability and emotional impact to these personal stories and to the clinical interactions they often describe.

For more information, please visit our Graphic Medicine Guide, which includes a complete listing of all the titles in the collection (as well as “tasting menus” for those looking to browse by topic); links to articles, videos, and websites about the discipline of graphic medicine; and open access educational resources for instructors who are curious about potentially incorporating graphic medicine resources into their teaching.