Written by: Genevieve Hammang
Edited by: Michelle Sosa
Pam Jackson has worked in the Cal State University system for 23 years.
What is your name, title, and place of employment, and how long have you worked there? What do you enjoy most about your position?
Pamela Jackson, Comic Arts Librarian, Special Collections & University Archives and Co-Director of the SDSU Center for Comics Studies, College of Arts & Letters. Both at San Diego State University.
I’ve been a library faculty member in the Cal State University system for 23 years, 20 of those at SDSU. I’ve been in Special Collections for 10 years.
I like the flexibility and autonomy my position affords, but also working closely with patrons to solve research puzzles.
What was your educational background prior to working at SDSU?
- MLIS from University of Wisconsin, Madison
- MA in English from Sonoma State University
- BA in English from Sonoma State University
What does a typical day look like for you?
One thing I enjoy about my position is that there isn’t a typical day. Some days I might be writing a journal article or working on grant research. Others, I might be working on a new exhibit, processing collections to make them accessible, or selecting items for purchase.
I’m also the Founding Co-Director of the CCS with History Professor Beth Pollard. We oversee a group of 45 faculty with an interest in teaching and researching comics. We lead research and grant projects, host guest lectures and comic book reading groups, create comics curricula, and partner with community groups interested in comics. This fall, we’re hosting our inaugural Comics-Professional-in-Residence and Comic-Artist-in-Residence, Dr. Laurence Grove and comic artist Frank Quitely from Scotland.
What challenges did you face during school and after graduation?
During school, the struggle was mostly financial. In terms of the job market, I got lucky. I went into job interviews extremely well-prepared and performed well, but I also think there were more open positions at the time. I landed an academic faculty librarian job in my home state of California fresh out of library school.
Inside the Edward E. Marsh Golden Age of Science Fiction Room, just outside Special Collections.
You’ve worked in many different roles at SDSU. Why and how did you make the transition to comics?
I started my career as an academic librarian for Math and Computer Science and later came to SDSU to develop online learning tools for library instruction. I was also the subject librarian for TV, Film, and Theatre. In 2011, the library dean pulled a group of us together to see what SDSU could or should be doing with comics. At the time, being an academic librarian allowed me to be an educator without having to “be on stage” every day. But I really loved working with comics and it showed me how much I missed using my expertise and education in literature.
I began working informally with the librarians in Special Collections & University Archives to grow our comics collection and programming. In 2015, they moved me into Special Collections full time. As the collection continued to grow and when I took on the role of Co-Director for the CCS, my other responsibilities were reassigned. We also changed my title to Comic Arts Librarian to better describe my role to the public.
Special Collections includes preservation and more targeted curation than my previous roles. Curating a collection like this also requires a lot more subject expertise than I needed in previous positions. I also do more museum-adjacent work, like curating exhibitions.
What work projects or plans would you like to accomplish in the next year?
This fall, we’re working with our inaugural Comics-Professional-in-Residence and Comic-Artist-in-Residence: Dr. Laurence Grove and comic artist Frank Quitely from Scotland. I’m assisting them with a course titled, “Comics and History through 10 SDSU Treasures,” in which they’re teaching the history of comics by using a comic or artifact from our collection as a spring board for each section of the class.
In spring, I’ll be on sabbatical to work on a manuscript called Comics and Social Justice. The book will look at how comics tackle Racial Justice; Gender and Sexual Identity Justice; Economic Justice; Health and Access Justice; Global or International Justice; Climate Justice; and Democracy and Activism. It’s a big task!
Have you had any memorable experiences helping a patron?
One thing I really love about working in Special Collections is that we attract students who are interested in pursuing careers in museums and libraries. For example, Grace deVega was a History and Political Science major with an interest in comics who wanted exhibit experience. Professor Pollard and I team-taught a course on exhibit design for Grace where she created “The Sound of Comics.”
Students and faculty can access a huge range of comics through SDSU’s Special Collections.
Why do you think special libraries are essential to the library world?
Special libraries preserve materials that might be otherwise lost. They curate information on specific topics so that researchers can find what they need. They can serve as community hubs, giving a voice to those who might be forgotten or feel left out.
If an MLS student is interested in special librarianship but unsure, what advice would you give them?
It feels like a hard time to go into academia and into librarianship, but it is one of the most rewarding careers out there! It would behoove new professionals to learn how to manage digital assets – how to organize and preserve digital information and archives. Stay current on technology. A lot of us in libraries have big feelings about AI, but it is here and it is being used so make sure you know enough to speak to its responsible and ethical use.
Outside of work, what are your favorite genres to read? What about favorite books?
I enjoy horror, fantasy, and scifi, but I’m pretty picky about the subgenres. When it comes to fantasy, I gravitate toward portal and low and dark fantasy, but struggle with high fantasy. I never thought I’d enjoy romantasy, but I cannot put the Zodiac Academy series down. And I will read whatever Christopher Moore wants to write.
Learn more about the resources that SDSU’s Special Collections offers here and about the research that goes into comics through Pam’s LibGuide!
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