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Star Wars celebrated at library
POLAND
Reading, movies and fun intersected at Star Wars Reads Day on Saturday at the Poland public library.
For the first time, the library here joined more than 2,000 libraries and bookstores across North America in the simultaneous observance of the third annual international event.
For 41/2-year-old twin brothers Gabriel and Gavin Repasky of Austintown, who arrived in Darth Vader and Yoda costumes, respectively, the event was a prequel to Halloween, for which they’ll wear the same attire.
“It’s fun,” Gabriel said of the event.
His light saber-wielding brother told a reporter: “May the force be with you.”
Their mother, Carrie Repasky, said Gavin sleeps with his light saber.
“The boys like ‘Star Wars,’ so we thought it would be a fun way to spend the afternoon,” said her husband, Matt, who was a “Star Wars” enthusiast while he was growing up.
“It’s just an interesting story that anyone can relate to. I mean, there’s good and evil. There’s love. There’s little monsters. There’s robots. I mean, once they’re old enough, it’s fun for the whole family,” he said.
“They like to read, and there’s books for them to read, and they have lots of crafts for them to make today,” his wife said of their sons.
Children had their pictures taken with an adult Darth Vader at the celebration, which featured arts and crafts activities, games, puzzles, a costume contest and a “Talk Like Yoda” contest.
Other adults were dressed as stormtroopers, a sand trooper, and as Greedo.
Children wore the costumes of Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker and young jedi.
“Star Wars” books and movie DVDs adorned tables at the event, giving attendees a glimpse of some of the hundreds of “Star Wars” items for all ages available for borrowing at all 15 branches of the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County.
“Kids love ‘Star Wars,’ and kids love books, so it was a good match. ‘Star Wars’ is an icon of our culture,” said Josephine Nolfi, the library system’s manager of youth services and programming.
“‘Star Wars’ is hugely popular with kids, and that’s one technique that we use to engage kids in reading. We target programming towards activities and interests that the kids have, and we try to bring those interests to life and then relate it to the books that they can be reading to support that,” Nolfi said.
“It appeals on many, many levels. The themes resonate with everyone,” Nolfi said, adding that the characters, costumes and cinematography of the science-fiction series give it an enduring appeal from generation to generation in popular culture.
The event was launched in 2012 by Lucasfilm and its publishing partners, “so it’s a natural tie-in to libraries and reading,” Nolfi explained.
“We hope that this is something that makes kids love reading more than they already do,” she said. “This is something that will make them see that the library is about more than just books.”