It is probably safe to assume many people in the English-speaking world know what a library is — a quiet, intoxicatingly musty place that’s unique smells emanate from the precious tomes that line many shelves. While many go to the library to study, write a paper or research, not too many realize it can be a place to unwind or be entertained.
On Saturday, the Moorhead Public Library hosted a Harry Potter party — an event sponsored by the Friends of the Library organization — to celebrate the upcoming release of the newest cinematic addition to J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” and, of course, to celebrate Halloween.
The party began at 12:00 p.m. with a screening of the most recently made film, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” held in a cozy, little room with seating available for 20 people. Concessions were also provided, free of charge. After the movie ended — of which I was still emotionally reeling from hours later — the real party began downstairs.
Marking the way to the basement were signs warning the traveler to “watch the stairs, they change.” An assortment of goodies was laid out in a conference room beyond a brick patterned curtain, marking the area as platform 9¾. Of those delightful confections were, of course, pumpkin juice and licorice wands. Also available were house sorting quizzes (this writer is a proud member of Slytherin house) and free invisibility cloaks; although, I do believe this might have been false advertisement.
Ultimately, the main goal of this party was to be a community event. As explained by Nicole Bowood, a library associate at the Moorhead Public Library, the party was designed to show the library does provide many amenities available to the public for free, such as movie screenings. The point being, public libraries are community centers, places to either work or enjoy some much-needed leisure time. Most importantly, they provide entertainment for no charge. So instead of astronomical prices at the movie theatre, why not just go to the library where you can enjoy the magic of the wizarding world without opening your wallet?
A complete list of future activities are provided at larl.org for anyone who would like to get a little bang for no buck.