The Future of Library Comic Cons?

I love library comic cons. I've been to lots of them, had vendor tables at eight of them, and was once working on organizing one of my own. But as popular as they have become with libraries, they may have become a dying breed already. It's not because of numbers; attendance is still high at library cons. But they have become spectator sports; vendors are unhappy because everyone is there to look and not buy. 

Too much repetition had made this inevitable; most of the local people who were interested in buying art prints have already come to buy art prints. So one solution libraries are trying is to radically shake up their guest lists, removing repeat guests and trying to find something new to offer.

Other libraries, like Schaumburg Township District Library, make it worth the vendors' time with free gifts -- mugs, gift cards for the in-library cafe, and the like -- even if they don't manage to sell anything.

A library with a large enough budget for its con could go one step further and guarantee a sale to each vendor (up to a certain amount), with the library using these purchases to add to its own collection.  Ironically, many local comic book creators are not being represented in the collections of the very libraries they are appearing in. And even a library without a dedicated art collection could begin one with small prints from local artists.

A frightening alternative would be removing the vendors altogether -- a convention with all spectacle and no substance. This would likely be a cosplay-only convention. I'm not opposed to cosplay and personally think it would be fun to try someday, but it runs the same risk of being overplayed. Will your convention guests keep coming if they feel like they've seen all these costumes before?

I'll happily be attending some library conventions this year, and will spend what I can to support our local vendors. I'll also be watching to see what becomes of library comic cons in the future.