Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table accepting applications for 2026 Comics Librarian Conference Travel Grant

The Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table (GNCRT) is accepting applications for a conference travel grant intended for comics library workers: The 2026 Oni Press GNCRT Travel Grant. This grant provides funds for newer library professionals with limited financial support to attend the upcoming 2026 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, and recognizes the value and expertise of comics librarianship. Applications for the grant are open now and the deadline to apply is March 22, 2026.

Through the GNCRT Comics Librarian Conference Travel Grant one recipient will be selected to receive reimbursement of up to $3,000 (including registration) toward their attendance at the upcoming 2026 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. The funds are to be used to reimburse the cost of conference registration, travel and hotel expenses and meals during the conference. Additionally, GNCRT will provide opportunities for the grant winner to participate in sessions and network with comics publishers and their fellow GNCRT members. Find eligibility information and application instructions online.

This year’s grant is supported through a generous donation from Oni Press. Established in 2023, the GNCRT Comics Librarian Conference Travel Grant offers support for the professional development of library workers interested in expanding their knowledge and experience with comics collections and programming in libraries.

“Oni Press’s continued support of GNCRT’s Travel Grant is a powerful investment in library workers and the communities they serve,” said GNCRT President Shauntee Burns-Simpson. “By helping professionals access conferences, learning spaces, and industry conversations, Oni Press is strengthening the field of comics librarianship and ensuring that readers of all ages benefit from informed, inspired, and connected library staff. We are deeply grateful for their ongoing partnership and commitment to access and opportunity.”

“We at the GNCRT are thrilled to again facilitate the GNCRT Comics Librarian Travel Grant,” said GNCRT Past-President Shira Pilarski. “It’s particularly exciting to enable a comics library worker to attend the historic 2026 ALA Annual Conference, when ALA is celebrating its 150th anniversary. Thank you again to Oni Press, who are tireless supporters of comics librarians and whose sponsorship has already had significant positive effects on the field of comics librarianship on large-scale and individual levels.”

Grant applications are due March 22, 2026 and applicants must be members in good standing of both the American Library Association and the Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table. For more information on the GNCRT Comics Librarian Conference Travel Grant including full eligibility requirements and instructions on how to apply please visit the Comics Librarian Conference Travel Grant page online. Publishers and individuals interested in donating to support the GNCRT Comics Librarian Conference Travel Grant can donate directly to support this grant at ALA's Donation Portal (click on ROUND TABLES at the top and then on GNCRT on the left side).

About the Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table

The Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table of the American Library Association is dedicated to supporting library staff in all aspects of engaging with graphic novels and comics, including collection development, programming, and advocacy. For more information, connect with GNCRT on Discord; X: @libcomix; Instagram: @libcomix; Bluesky: @libcomix.bsky.social or the GNCRT ALA Connect page.

About Oni Press

Founded in 1997, Oni Press has a 25-year history as one of the industry’s most respected and acclaimed publishers of award-winning comic books and graphic novels with titles including Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim, K. O’Neill’s Tea Dragon Society, Cullen Bunn & Brian Hurtt's The Sixth Gun, Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer, Ezra Claytan Daniels' Upgrade Soul, Brenna Thummler’s Sheets trilogy, and many hundreds more. In 2019, Oni Press merged with Lion Forge Comics – the Eisner Award-winning independent comic book publisher founded by Academy Award-winning producer and entrepreneur David Steward II – to create one of the largest, independent libraries of comics content anywhere in media. The Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group now exists as a publishing subsidiary of Steward’s diversified global media company, Polarity.

The Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group publishes more than 60 original and licensed graphic novels annually, in addition to an extensive list of periodical comics.

About ALA

The American Library Association (ALA) is the only non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated entirely to America's libraries and library professionals. For almost 150 years, ALA has provided resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. The ALA serves academic, public, school, government, and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library's role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit www.ala.org.