SDSU University Library
Pamela Jackson

Pamela Jackson

Comic Arts Curator | Co-Founder/Co-Director Center for Comics Studies, College of Arts and Letters

ORCID iD
Academic Rank: Librarian; Tenured
(619) 594-3809
pamela.jackson@sdsu.edu

Office: Love Library 145
University Library,
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive,
San Diego, CA 92182-8050

Biography

Pamela Jackson has been a library faculty member in the California State University system since 2002. She is Comic Arts Librarian in Special Collections and University Archives at San Diego State University, and Founding Co-Director of SDSU’s Center for Comics Studies in the College of Arts and Letters. She manages a comic arts collection of more than 120K published, archival and ephemeral items. As founding co-Director for the Center for Comics Studies, Jackson works to include comics in the curriculum and to foster the next generation of comics scholars. She co-led efforts to develop SDSU’s comics curriculum, host an Institute for K-12 Teachers on Using Comics to Teach Social Justice, and created The Comic-Con Kids: Finding and Defining Fandom, which explores the emergence of comics, science fiction and fantasy in the youth counterculture movements of the 1970s. Her recent work focuses on teaching civic engagement through comics. Pam was honored to serve as a judge for the 2021 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards. She has an MA in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing from Sonoma State University, an MA in Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and a Professional Certificate in Rare Books and Manuscripts from the California Rare Book School at UCLA.

Professional History
  • Founding Co-Director, 2022—Present
    Center for Comics Studies | College of Arts & Letters, San Diego State University
  • Popular Culture Librarian, 2016—Present
    Special Collections and University Archives, San Diego State University
  • Information Literacy Librarian, 2005—2016
    Instructional Services, San Diego State University
  • Reference/Instruction Librarian, 2002—2005
    Reference, San Jose State University
  • Project Assistant, 2001—2002
    The Why Files, University of Wisconsin–Madison

  • Library Assistant, 1999—2001
    Center for Demography and Ecology, University of Wisconsin–Madison
  • Archives Aid, 1991—1993
    National Archives and Records Administration
Education
  • Professional Certificate, California Rare Book School, 2020
  • M.A. Library and Information Studies, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 2002
  • M.A. in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing, Sonoma State University, 1999
  • B.A. in English, Magna Cum Laude, With Distinction, Sonoma State University, 1998
  • A.A. Highest Honors, Saddleback College, 1995
Distinctions
  • 2025 Movers & Shakers Award, 2025—Present
    Library Journal
  • SDSU Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Faculty Contribution, 2009/10, 2010—Present
    San Diego State University
  • SDSU Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Faculty Contribution, 2009/10 (Faculty Monty Award), 2010—Present
    University Library, San Diego State University
  • Associated Students Aztec Achievement Award, Best Retention Practices 2009, 2009—Present
    San Diego State University
  • Associated Students Aztec Achievement Award, Best Retention Practices 2009, 2009—Present
    University Library, San Diego State University
Grants
  • Using Comics to Teach Social Justice, National Endowment for the Humanities, 2023-2024, 175,000 USD
  • Building A Comics And Social Justice Curriculum At SDSU, National Endowment for the Humanities, 2022-2023, 149,998 USD
  • Building Capacity for Research and Teaching with Comics and Graphic Art, Institute of Museum and Library Services, 2021-2023, 149,305 USD
  • The Comic-Con Kids: Finding and Defining Fandom, California Council for the Humanities (NEH Partner), 2012-2014

Scholarship

Academic Publications

College & Research Libraries News, 2026, journal article
Academic libraries Archival materials
Inks: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society, 2026, journal article
Barr, Donna, 1952- Cartooning Underground comic books, strips, etc. Women cartoonists
Art Libraries Journal, 2025, journal article PlumX Metrics
Comic books, strips, etc. Federal aid to education Graphic novels in education
Randy Duncan; Pamela Jackson; Katherine Kelp-Stebbins; Susan Kirtley; Elizabeth Pollard; Nick Sousanis; Daniel Worden
Inks: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society, 2023, journal article PlumX Metrics
Comics (Graphic works) Communication in education Graphic novels Universities and colleges
Fafnir – Nordic Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy Research, 2018, journal article
Academic libraries California Popular culture Speculative fiction

More Than Money, 2018, book chapter
Lexicography Linguistics Rhetoric Vocabulary
Collaborating for Impact: Special Collections and Liaison Librarian Partnerships, 2016, book chapter
Crowdsourcing Digital humanities Museum studies Popular culture
The Serials Librarian, 2016, journal article Cited by 3 PlumX Metrics
Comic books, strips, etc. Graphic novels Library catalogs Library science
Pamela Jackson; Patrick Sullivan
Association of College and Research Libraries, 2011, book Cited by 27
Academic libraries Education, Higher Students, Foreign Universities and colleges
The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 2007, journal article Cited by 81 PlumX Metrics
Academic libraries Blackboard systems (Computer programs) Educational Partnerships Program (U.S.) Information literacy
College & Research Libraries, 2006, journal article Cited by 72 PlumX Metrics
Educational technology Plagiarism Undergraduates Web-based instruction
Reference Services Review, 2005, journal article
Cited by 102 PlumX Metrics
Academic libraries Libraries and immigrants Library surveys
Empowering Students II: Teaching Information Literacy Concepts with Hands-on and Minds-on Activities, 2004, book chapter
Academic libraries Government publications Information literacy Research
Empowering Students II: Teaching Information Literacy Concepts with Hands-on and Minds-on Activities, 2004, book chapter
Methodology Research methods Science

Academic Conferences

2026, conference paper
Communication Congresses and conventions Meetings Public speaking
Comics and Social Justice at SDSU: Collections, Curriculum, and Community
International Comic Arts Forum (ICAF), 2025, conference paper
Comic books, strips, etc. Curriculum planning San Diego State University Social justice in comics
Banned In The U.S.A?! Freedom, Comics, And Education
Comic-Con International, 2025, conference paper
Censorship Comic books, strips, etc. Education Freedom of expression
Unholy Trinity: Vampires, Witches and Ghosts in Comics
Comic-Con International, 2025, conference paper
Ghosts in mass media Horror comic books, strips, etc. Vampires in mass media Witches in literature
Adapting Literary Works to Comics: From Classics Illustrated to Will Eisner to Today
Comic-Con Museum Eisner Week, 2024, conference paper
Classics illustrated Comic books, strips, etc. Eisner, Will Graphic novels

Comics in Higher Education: From Collections to Scholarship
LibraryPass Webinar, 2024, conference paper
Comic books, strips, etc. Education, Higher Educational technology Scholarly publishing
One for the [Comic] Books: A Curriculum Transformed
Comic Arts Conference at Comic-Con, International, 2024, conference paper
Comic books, strips, etc. Curriculum planning Graphic novels in education Teaching
Social Justice Warriors Assemble
Comics Studies Society, 2024, conference paper
Activism Human rights Social justice Social movements
Just Wrapped: K-12 Institute on ‘Using Comics to Teach Social Justice.’
Comic-Con, International, 2024, conference paper
Education Graphic novels in education Social justice
Comics Catalog: A History of Comics in Libraries
Comic-Con, International, 2024, conference paper
Comic books, strips, etc. Graphic novels Libraries Library science
Comics in Academic Archives, Exhibits and Education
National Cartoonists Society Annual Conference, 2024, conference paper
Archival materials Comic books, strips, etc. Education Exhibitions
Creatures of the Night: Witches and Vampires in Comic Books
San Diego Comic Fest, 2024, conference paper
Comic books, strips, etc. Fantasy fiction Vampires Witches
Comics Collecting for Social Justice in Academic Libraries
UC Riverside Webinar, 2023, conference paper
Academic libraries Graphic novels Libraries and society Social justice in comics
Building a Comics Curriculum that Inspires Change
International Comic Arts Forum (ICAF), 2023, conference paper
Comic books, strips, etc. Curriculum planning Graphic novels Social change
The Comics Memoir: From the Beginning
Comic-Con, International, 2023, conference paper
Autobiographical comics Cartooning Comics (Graphic works)
Comics, Social Justice and Libraries: An Assessment of Need/Wants Nationwide
Comics Studies Society, 2023, conference paper
Information services Libraries Social justice in comics
Comics Pedagogy: Teaching Outside the Panel
Comic-Con, International, 2023, conference paper
Comic books, strips, etc. Critical pedagogy Graphic novels Teaching
Centers and Certificates: Comics go to College
Comic-Con, International, 2023, conference paper
Art Cartooning Graphic novels Universities and colleges
Comics Change the World: Comics Activism Then to Now
Comic-Con, International, 2023, conference paper
Comics (Graphic works) Popular culture Protest movements Social change
Building Connected Community through Comics
Better Living Through Comics: The 2023 Joint Conference of the International Graphic Novel & Comics and the International Bande Dessinée Society, 2023, conference paper
Comic books, strips, etc. Communities Graphic novels Neighborhoods
And Now for Something Completely Different: Expanding the Comics Medium
Comic-Con Museum Eisner Week, 2022, conference paper
Cartooning Comics (Graphic works) Satire Storytelling
The Future of Days Past: Eisner Awards as Comics Historiography
WonderCon, 2022, conference paper
Awards Comic books, strips, etc. Comics (Graphic works) Eisner, Will
Comics@SDSU: Transforming Campus Collaboration
Popular Culture Association / American Culture Association Annual Conference, 2022, conference paper
Academic libraries California Comic books, strips, etc. San Diego State University
The Transformational Power of a Comics and Social Justice Curriculum
Comic-Con, International, 2022, conference paper
Comic books, strips, etc. Critical pedagogy Multicultural education Social justice
Express Yourself: Activism Through the Comic Arts
Comic-Con, International , 2022, conference paper
Comic books, strips, etc. Freedom of speech Satire Social movements
Raising the Dead: Horror Comics and the Comics Code
Comic-Con, International , 2022, conference paper
Comic books, strips, etc. Comics (Graphic works) Graphic novels Horror comics
Collaborating to Build a Digital Timeline of Social Justice in Comics at SDSU
Pamella Lach; Elizabeth A. Pollard; Pamela Jackson
Presentation at the Digital Pedagogy Institute (virtual), 2021, conference presentation
California Comic books, strips, etc. San Diego State University Social justice in comics