Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table Announces Recipient of the 2026 Oni Press GNCRT Comics Librarian Conference Travel Grant

The American Library Association's Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table (GNCRT) is excited to announce Christa Bell as the winner of the 2026 Oni Press GNCRT Comics Librarian Conference Travel Grant.

Christa Bell is a K–12 Library Media Specialist in the Lafayette County C-1 School District in Higginsville, Missouri, where she serves a rural, Title I student population. With over two decades in education, she is passionate about creating dynamic, inclusive library spaces that foster a love of reading and learning for all students. Christa is an active member of the American Library Association and the Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table, where she serves on the ALA Conference Committee and as Vice Chair of the Best Graphic Novels for Children List Committee. She is especially committed to promoting graphic novels as powerful tools for literacy, engagement, and representation, particularly for reluctant readers in rural communities. In her school, she integrates comics into programming, collection development, and makerspace opportunities that encourage students not only to read comics, but to create them.

Christa is honored to be selected as a recipient of this grant and is thrilled to attend her first ALA Annual Conference. She will also be presenting a panel on comics creation in libraries, sharing strategies for empowering patrons as both readers and creators. On this opportunity, she said, “Thank you to the jury for selecting me for this incredible opportunity. Attending my first ALA Conference and presenting alongside fellow librarians is truly exciting. I am passionate about helping students move from consuming stories to creating their own, and I look forward to learning from others and bringing back innovative, accessible ideas that will inspire creativity and literacy in my rural school community.”

The GNCRT Comics Librarian Conference Travel Grant provides a library worker reimbursement funds of up to $3,000 toward their attendance at the upcoming 2026 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Additionally, GNCRT will provide opportunities for the grant winner to participate in sessions and opportunities to meet and connect with comics publishers and their fellow GNCRT members.

Funding for this year’s grants was provided by generous donations from graphic novel publisher Oni Press. GNCRT would like to also thank Skybound Entertainment, which provided essential funds and support to establish the grant in its first year. 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.

"As the importance of visual literacy in our society continues to grow, so too does the importance of a comics librarian’s role in fostering creativity and critical thinking in their schools and communities," said Katie Sainz, Director of Sales, Book Market at Oni Press. "We’re proud to continue to support the ALA GNCRT Travel Grant and its mission to provide deserving graphic novel librarians the opportunity to attend ALA and renew their passion for librarianship, learning, and leading readers in a love for the graphic medium."

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. To contribute to the GNCRT Comics Librarian Conference Travel Grant, please visit https://ec.ala.org/donate/projects (select Round Tables from the top of the page, then GNCRT from the list on the left).

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 the American Library Association

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.