Interviewed by Matt Tauber, Caswell detailed the museum's origins and how she became involved: Caniff loved his university very much and truly believed that without the education he got here, he would not have achieved the things that he did.

As a good librarian and scholar, I started writing around to other places that said they had cartoon collections to see how they did things, because you don’t want to reinvent the wheel if somebody’s already figured it out.

In early 1996, the library accepted a complete run of Newspaper Enterprise Association syndicate proof books (1903-1977), as well as original art and papers from cartoonists P. Craig Russell and Lynn Johnston.

[5][1][2] The library was awarded a $100,000 grant from the Getty Foundation to assist in processing the material;[6] six semitrailer trucks transported this collection from California to Ohio.

Founded in 1973 by cartoonist Mort Walker, the IMCA collection includes a wide variety of original cartoon art (comic strips, comic books, animation, editorial, advertising, sport, caricature, greeting cards, graphic novels, and illustrations), display figures, toys, and collectibles, plus works on film and tape, CDs, and DVDs.

[10] In September 2009, it was announced that the Ohio State University Board of Trustees approved a new name, Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, in recognition of a $7 million gift from an anonymous donor to support the renovation of Sullivant Hall.

The Bud Blake Collection includes more than 5,800 of the cartoon panels he drew for King Features Syndicate from 1954 to 1965, plus 10,000 daily and Sunday Tiger originals.

Featuring two days of lectures, panel discussions, exhibitions, and receptions, it attracted cartoonists, comics scholars, fans, collectors, and students.

Leading cartoonists spoke at the festival, including Lynda Barry, Milton Caniff, Will Eisner, Jules Feiffer, Ben Katchor, Patrick Oliphant, Jeff Smith, Art Spiegelman, Garry Trudeau, and Bill Watterson.

[20] In May 2010, the Ohio State University Press announced Studies in Comics and Cartoons, a series of books edited by Caswell and Jared Gardner, associate professor in the Department of English.

[24] Expansion for the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum included the renovation of historic Sullivant Hall located on High Street adjacent to the Wexner Center for the Arts.

[26] The $20.6 million project was completed in 2013,[27] with Sullivant Hall housing both the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum and Ohio State's Department of Dance.