What is graphic medicine?
The term graphic medicine was coined in 2007 by Dr. Ian Williams and is defined as the ”intersection between the medium of comics and the discourse of healthcare." By weaving together text and imagery in a highly accessible way, graphic medicine captures patient and healthcare provider experiences in a unique format that naturally engenders empathy and understanding. As COVID-19 has so powerfully demonstrated, our individual and collective health relies heavily on communication. Graphic novels are a highly effective format for communicating both scientific information and personal experience.
Graphic medicine at UCSF
In 2022, the UCSF Library received a Collection Equity Outreach Award from Region 5 of the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM). This grant enabled the Library to add 55 print and electronic graphic medicine titles to our popular reading collection. In 2023, the Library received a Supplemental Collection Equity Award from NNLM Region 5 that enabled us to purchase an additional 52 titles.
Print titles can be checked out by UCSF affiliates for 4 weeks. Information on how to use ebooks can be found in the Ebooks at UCSF LibGuide. Additionally, historically significant comics are available from the Library's Archives and Special Collections.
NIH Acknowledgement
Developed resources reported in this LibGuide are supported by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH) under cooperative agreement number UG4LM013725 with University of Washington. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.