There’s definitely something creepy about certain old museums and libraries, and the thought of a ghost story set in one with a main character dealing with mental illness was very intriguing. While it delivers on some of my expectations, unfortunately on some, it fell short of the mark for me.

After a nervous breakdown at work caused Cel to lose her job as a librarian, she’s somewhat relieved to find an opening as an archival assistant at a museum. Surprisingly enough, it comes with an apartment located on-site, since the job has to occur at night during the museum’s off hours. While at first Cel is hesitant about it, it’s slim pickings, as she doesn’t have a degree, and it seems like the move will give her some space from her well-meaning but suffocating boyfriend. As she settles in to her job, strange things start happening – creepy noises, items moved or misplaced, weird dreams. Her new boss is strange and distant, and her other coworker is obviously not telling her everything. Is a ghost behind all the weird happenings, and if so, why has it chosen Cel?

I thought the mental illness aspect – both contemporary and historical – was handled well, and I empathized with Cel a lot. I put off therapy and medication for years, and I understood her prickly reactions to those close to her. Sometimes, the last thing you want when you’re depressed is someone who wants to “try to make it all better” or “fix you” or thinks making silly jokes will suddenly make everything alright. My favorite part was when the ghost was acting up and basically trashing the place. Aba is hesitant to help out the ghost due to her violent tendencies, while Cel disagrees with him, telling him that she’s angry – and she should be! This really resonated with me, especially with all the conversations being led by women (#MeToo, Women’s March, etc) where they’re being told the equivalent of “well, yeah, your message is good, but can’t you be more polite about it?” Sometimes, anger isn’t just understandable, it’s absolutely necessary.

Cel’s attempts to help the ghost are hindered by her own and others’ perceptions of her mental illness – that it’s all in her head. Holly, her supervisor, has the best response – helping Cel try to figure out who the ghost is won’t cause any harm, so she supports her and helps her without making her think she’s being ridiculous.

While I liked the art, it sometimes didn’t work with the creepiness of the story for me. I thought the color palette was wonderful, but the cartoony nature of it was more distracting. Just not my cup of tea for this particular genre. However, I especially loved the diverse character designs, and Holly, with her purple and blue hair and chic wardrobe, as my favorite. She also has my favorite panel in the whole comic!

The explanation for the ghost’s anger and resolution of that were hinted at very well in the story, but I found parts of the resolution (what happened with the board members) unsatisfying. Overall, though, this was a quick and creepy read, with a lot of hidden depth.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I enjoyed this a lot. I felt that the illustrations and story were well matched. The emotions of characters are clear and the setting of the archives is creepy with its juxtaposed order and chaos.

I identified with the main character who is struggling with depression. Being I am currently acquiring my MLIS, I also connect with the setting of the archive and the research elements. My favorite line is from Holly: "Be gone. I must librarian." I want this as a pin pls, thx - get a table at an ALA conference and have a pin with that on it. You'll get much love. :)

Overall, engaging read with eye catching illustrations that is meant for ghost story lovers and librarians/archivist.

When I first saw the Oni Press solicit for Archival Quality, I was immediately intrigued. A ghost story about librarians? Sign. Me. Up.

It appeared on NetGalley not long after and I immediately downloaded it, devoured it in one sitting, and then read it again.

In the interim, I got in touch with author Ivy Noelle Weir and artist Steenz for an interview, in which they talked to me about creating the book, the importance of public libraries, and more. (I personally think it’s a damn good read, but I’m biased.)

Archival Quality follows Celeste Walde, whose struggle with depression leads her to break down during a work shift at the local library. Consequently, she’s let go, and has to find another job — hopefully one she loves just as much.

When Cel sees a listing for an archivist position at the Logan Museum, which was once a (poorly-run) mental health facility, she decides to apply, assuming it will be similar to her library job. Of course, it’s not like that at all. During Cel’s bizarre, pseudo–interview, she learns that if she takes the job, she’ll have to live in the apartment provided by the museum. Why? Because the Logan Museum archivist works overnight shifts, of course.

As expected, when Cel starts her work, things get a little… weird. She discovers that the history of the Logan Museum is far more sinister than she expects when she starts seeing the same former patient everywhere she looks — including her dreams. Cel loses time, suffers random nose bleeds, blacks out frequently, and struggles even harder with her mental health and relationships.

All the while, she tries desperately to find out more information on the patient she keeps seeing — and does her best to fulfill that patient’s request for help, despite the fact that Cel is having such a hard time taking care of herself.

Although Archival Quality primarily follows Celeste, the book is rounded out by an awesome ensemble cast: Kyle, Celeste’s well-intentioned but ultimately kind of crappy boyfriend, Abayomi, the chief curator of the Logan Museum, Holly, the museum librarian, Gina, Holly’s girlfriend, the mysterious Board, and of course, the ghost.

Each of these characters offers something different, both for Celeste and for the reader. Archival Quality takes an incredibly candid look at mental illness, even against the backdrop of such a classically haunted setting, and these characters all care about Cel in their own ways. They have their strengths and weaknesses, and it’s clear that some of them (namely Holly) are more experienced in talking about mental health than others (like Kyle).

Furthermore, some of them are just bad at human interaction, or are so worried about themselves and their secrets that they have a hard time recognizing the difficulties that others may be experiencing. This book really runs the gamut on human experience, even though it’s such a relatively small microcosm of a universe.

Weir’s writing is emotional without being overwrought, and she focuses less on the boggy specifics of the Logan Museum and more on Celeste, her experiences, and what depression looks like for her. Each character has a very distinct voice and the book never feels like anything is forced, whether it’s narration or dialogue. Weir focuses on the parts of the story that matter, constructs logical narrative beats, and pushes the story forward in a concise, well-paced manner that doesn’t skimp on important details but also doesn’t get too wrapped up in exposition, which is wonderful.

Likewise, Steenz’s art illustrates what’s happening perfectly. Her line work and colors pack each page with a lot of punch, and the moments of silence provided in Weir’s writing are filled in beautifully with Steenz’s art. There are so many moments in Archival Quality that are classic spooks.

In our interview, Weir said she wouldn’t have done this story as a comic if Steenz wasn’t on board to provide art, and it’s easy to see why. These two work together in a way that makes this book feel utterly cohesive from start to finish, even though the book is nearly 300 pages and was completed in a relatively short amount of time.

I am really impressed with how Archival Quality tackles mental health and relationships, but also how it demonstrates the importance of public spaces for preserving history, even while leaning hard into the spooky-creepy-haunted stuff. This story is nuanced and well-handled, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Archival Quality Rating: ★★★★★

While I very much enjoyed the story, the art style wasn’t my thing, hence the 4 stars.

The story focuses on Celeste, who after losing her previous job due to a mental breakdown, has come to work as an archive assistant at a medical museum (pretty unrealistic, seeing as she doesn’t have an MILS, but also so true to being passionate about books and archives but not being allowed to do anything involving them unless you have the MILS). Curious things begin to happen both around the museum and archives and to Celeste, and Celeste becomes determined to help the woman who is, for lack of a better word, haunting her.

The parallels between Celeste and Celine are really what makes this a powerful story. Both have anxiety and depression and Celine was subjected to experiments to try and “cure” her. Celeste, knowing what it feels like to have no one understand her mental state, does everything she can to try and help Celine. It was an excellent focus on how mental illness, while much more understood than it was 100 years ago, is still something that’s heavily stigmatized, and something that many people still brush off as “a phase” or “a blue day.” These assumptions are just as bad as the assumptions made 100 years ago and still do nothing beneficial for anyone.

The story was straightforward, without really any side plots, so it was a quick read, but a very enjoyable one!

Likeable story and characters, however I found the art weak. I thought the main character was a young teenager and her boyfriend was her dad until her age and the relationship were made explicit through dialogue, and some of the smaller details were very poor.

I was super excited to read this book, as someone who is currently going to school to be a librarian/archivist, who also loves comics, and ghost stories. The story itself was fun but nothing too new, it definitely reminded me of Suspiria. I did find the main character a tad annoying though, and that is coming from someone who suffers from anxiety and depression and can be annoying. It was just frustrating to see her make such bad decisions again and again, it felt like watching Girls. The art was good, it reminded me of Steven Universe a bit, which was an interesting clash with the dark themes. I thought this book was good but the description was a bit misleading as this is more of a story about mental health with a haunted archive/museum thrown in for fun. I will keep an eye out for more by those two though.

This was a very interesting take on mental health and how it affects those suffering from poor mental health and those around them. It also a bit of a good ghost story. It is at times frustrating and honest. The characters are realistic and believable. The story is about them and their struggles. It gives a good look at how we treated people in the past, and how we should be respectful and understanding of all people now. The art is also quite good. I could connect with the characters in this story,

*mini review goes live 3/5!*

After her mental health struggles cause her to lose her job, Celeste sinks further into depression. By chance she happens upon a posting for a museum archivist and applies - ultimately getting the job. But Cel quickly discovers there's more to the museum than she first thought. She's given an apartment on one of the upper floors and she soon begins having strange dreams...dreams of a girl. A girl practically demanding Cel's help.

Another quick, easy breezy read. I'm all for stories where an old asylum still has a hold on the present day. Here, the museum one held patients and Cel uncovers some very disturbing secrets. While I wasn't a huge fan of Cel's character, the others were great - and wonderfully diverse - and the story was intriguing too!

I really enjoyed this. I only feel like the ending could have had a bit more explaining as well as some characters for me to really care about them. The fact that the main character had a breakdown was mentioned so many times but we didn't really get any explenation as toward what exactly happened and I feel like we just needed that to understand her and her connection with the ghost more.

I really enjoyed Archival Quality...I'm still not sure how I can possibly describe it, but I truly loved it. The stylization of the characters' noses kind of bothers me for some reason, but I did end up not really noticing them by the end of the book. I also appreciated the realistic look at mental illness and that the characters were willing to stay by each other, even if they didn't believe the same things the other characters did; it was just a nice, healthy example of relationships where people truly care about each other.

This was a really nice story that managed to be cute and creepy at the same time. I liked how it dealt with Celeste's mental illness and also tied it back into the ghost story and talked a bit about the history of how we've handled mental health [aka not well]. I liked all the characters but also they all felt a little bit two-dimensional and some of their actions I feel were only there to move the plot forward and not because they actually made sense. Really cute character designs though, I love all of Holly's outfits!

First, the scoop: Cel Walden is a young woman who loves working with books. But she loses her library job, because she's also dealing with crippling anxiety and depression. She finds another job, this time as an archivist, at the Logan Museum, where she's responsible for putting records in order and digitizing them. Sounds pretty cool, right? (You know it does.) She meets Abayomi, also called Aba, the secretive curator, and the fabulous Holly, librarian extraordinaire. Cel starts scanning and archiving, but notices strange things afoot at the library and the archivist's apartment on library property; she also starts having some strange dreams about a young woman who needs Cel's help. Cel becomes consumed with finding out this woman's identity and what happened to her, which puts her job, relationship, and possibly, her mental health, at risk.

Now, the raving: Archival Quality is a great story on so many levels. It's a ghost story; it's got secrets; it takes place in a library - where better to have a ghost story?!; and it takes a strong and sensitive look at mental health and takes an hard look at mental health treatment in the past. Cel is on a mission to find out what happened to the ghostly girl who shares her initials and her mental health challenges. The ghost's story gets under Cel's skin because she empathizes; she understands, and she wants to help put an uneasy, persecuted spirit to rest: and that certainly has a double meaning, as we see the toll this takes on Cel through the story.

The characters are wonderful. Cel stands on her own as a fully realized character, and her friends: the mysterious Aba has his own fears and frustrations to work with, and Holly is strong and witty. Holly and Aba are characters of color and Holly's got a girlfriend whose family has its own ties to the Logan Museum, giving us a tertiary character that has a realistic connection to the story and isn't just there to be window dressing for Holly. Archival Quality is a solid story that works to bash away at the stigma of depression and anxiety. I love it, and I can't wait to get it into the hands of the readers at my library. I'd hand this off to my upper-level middle schoolers and high schoolers, and keep copies handy for the college kids.

Ivy Noelle Weir and Steenz also happen to be former librarians. See? LIBRARIES ROCK. Check out Ivy Weir's webpage for more webcomics (with Steenz) and general awesomeness. Check out Steenz's Tumblr for more art.

The main reason I drawn to this graphic novel was because I work in a museum and the prospect of dealing with haunted objects is something we joke about.

The story centers around Cel, who lost her job in a library due to get mental illness and subsequently breakdown. She then sucures a job in a museum which was once a sanitarium amougst other things.

The fact that the location itself is quite unsettling, her co-worker doesn't help by being distant and strange. From the beginning things start happening. Noises, bangs, dreams. All making Cel feel 'crazy'. But it's only the start of her journey in the museum.

I really enjoyed this. The main focus of this is mental health and how a young woman battles with it daily. It also connects with the treatment of past generations and makes you realise how lucky been are today to have some great option and help available.

As with all stand alone graphic novels, you never get the real death of the story in such a short volume. But this would certainly make an interesting novel if padded out.

Ohh, where do I begin with this.

I really did want to love this book, the idea and the premise were so promising and I was hooked....

I did appreciate that it dealt with mental health, the diverse characters and the whole idea of the museum and its macabre secret, but my appreciation ends here.

The story was poorly executed, the characters fell flat and I, as a person that struggles with depression, could not relate to the main character Cel. In fact I found her incredibly immature for her age and annoying, and I did not care for her nor for the others. Their dialogues were unrealistic and I facepalmed through the entire book...

As for the art, unfortunately it could not make it up for the story either.

It did not work our for me, but that does not implies that you would not like it too.

I loved the representation, the realistic look at life with mental illness, and the premise. It’s about a former library employee who gets hired at a haunted medical museum where there are some shady happenings. (Former museum employee turned librarian right here, so I have to love it right?!) I could feel how personal the story was to the author, which I really appreciated.

However, the book was pretty disjointed in several parts, and the friendships between the staff seemed unrealistic and transformed too quickly.

I’m not sure what I was expecting from this book, but it wasn’t what I got. More than anything this is a look at mental health. Cel (Celeste) suffers from depression so deep she can not keep a job. But in order to survive in this world you have to work. How ever she is stuck in dead end jobs because she has no education beyond high school. It’s a good luck moment when she gets a job as an archivist in a local museum. However this museum is haunted and strange things happen. It’s even worse because Celeste has to live on site and do her work in the evening, instead of when the museum is open. It is her duty to help put the restless spirit to sleep.

It’s an interesting story, and overall I like it. However, as an overtrained and over educated librarian, I feel archivist and librarian are thrown around too much. I used not to feel this way, but our modern climate devalues the education of a true librarian and archivist. Celeste is just scanning pictures into a database. A simple enough job. And since this book seems loosely based on a person real life, I hate to say that I disagree with it, but I do. If we let the stereotype exist that archivist and librarians do not need an education, then the public will start asking those questions. We have enough schools, libraries, and museums losing qualified staff because of budget cuts, that I just don’t care for a book that makes it seems like our jobs can be done by anyone. There is a lot more to an archivists job than scanning pictures. It seems a weird reason to not like a book, but that is my main reason.

A quick, fun read full of mystery, ghosts, and diversity and good mental health representation. in a well-drawn graphic novel.

Sometimes you root for the ghost.

Celeste Walden has fallen on hard times. She’s struggled with anxiety and depression for most of her life, and a recent breakdown cost Cel her dream job as a librarian. So when she lands a position as live-in, night shift archivist at the mysterious Logan Museum, it seems too good to be true. And it is: before long, Cel begins to lose time and wake up in strange places. She pulls away from her long-time boyfriend, Kyle, and her already-strained relationship with her mother continues to fray. She dreams of a sad, hurt girl who roams the museum’s grounds.

Cel fears she’s losing her mind again – that is, until she sees the face of the sad girl, staring back at her from one of the photographs in the museum’s collections. Celine is real, and her ghost is stuck in the museum, calling out to Cel for help. But why? And can Cel convince her co-workers, librarian Holly and curator Abayomi “Aba” Abiola, that Celine is real?

There’s so much to love here. ARCHIVAL QUALITY is a great mashup of supernatural ghost story, historical fiction, and semi-autobiographical memoir. There’s intrigue, villainy, self-introspection, greed, and a haunting set in a spooky museum that used to be a terrifying asylum. As a former psych student who also has anxiety and depression, I found the mental health aspect both engaging and compassionately done. The history of psychiatry – steeped in racism, misogyny, and ableism – is equally parts fascinating and horrifying, and makes compelling fodder for a ghost story. The setting of a museum/library is pretty great too, and is sure to tickle the fancy of all the bookworms out there. (C’mon, who doesn’t dream of roaming a library after dark?)

Perhaps my favorite part, though, is the cast, which is fun and interesting and diverse as heck – but in a way that feels natural and organic. I fell in love with Holly – fabulous wardrobe and b*tchin’ purple-and-blue hair – from panel one, and her girlfriend Gina has an ace up her sleeve too. Aba is an enigmatic and ultimately sympathetic character. The only person I didn’t much care for is Kyle (good riddance!), who clearly cares for Cel but comes off as a bit of a nag (for lack of a better word).

Cel, though: Cel is awesome. I see a bit of myself in her struggle, and found hope in her ending. She’s just one cool broad.

Read it if you like: books and libraries; ghosts; revenge; research; museums of oddities; nefarious white guys getting their due.

An excellently told and heartwarming tale concerning mental health and redemption.

A young woman who's been having a tough time with her mental health gets a new job at a medical museum even creepier than the London ones (which is saying something). It involves her working nights and living on site. What could possibly go wrong? The set-up could seem implausible enough to break the story (see also: the way that despite the organisation being run by a sinister old-money board, it has such a commendably diverse hiring policy), but instead served mainly to remind me that yeah, late capitalism does nobody's mental health any favours. So when the haunting inevitably begins, the reader can see it's very likely real, but can also understand why other characters are hesitant to believe Cel. Her boyfriend is handled particularly well; he wants to look after her, but when it's so tricky to know how well someone is, negotiating the line between support and suffocation can be next to impossible. But all of them, despite/because of the cartoony, chunky art style, feel like living, breathing people. Well, except for the ghost.

(Netgalley ARC)