July 26, 2007

Harry Potter fans come out to celebrate final book

Crowd arrives in costumes, treated to games, fun at Almaden Library

By Carol Rosen
Editor

More than 400 people crowded the Almaden Branch Library and Community Center on the evening of July 20 to countdown the minutes before they could read the newest and final book on the saga of Harry Potter, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”

Sisters Audrey and Emily Cox enjoy a drink together at the Harry Potter book release party at the Almaden Branch Library on July 20. Photos by Dan Miranda

The event was able to take place because the library and community center are housed in the same building, allowing the two hours prior to the Witching Hour to provide entertainment and games for everyone. Activities were centered throughout the community center.

For example, there were crafts in the Tiny Town Room, refreshments in the team room, a small room set aside for people to discuss the history of Hogwarts, the famous boarding school for those studying witchcraft and wizardry, with some winning prizes such as Harry Potter temporary scar tattoos and Bertie Botts flavor beans. There was also a potions class with some science experiments and divinations where a library staff member read tea leaves.

The community room was dressed up as the Great Hall from Hogwarts where seeker training took place. If you are not a Harry Potter fan, seekers are probably the most important players in the game of Quidditch, which is sort of like soccer except the players all fly around on brooms. Each team has a seeker, which is the player who tries to find the snitch—a ball-like object with golden wings. The game is over and won by the seeker that catches the snitch.

Another wall contained seven large sheets of paper, each with a specific question about the book: who would live, who would die and will Hogwarts reopen, among others.

The final activity began around 11:30 when the staff began shutting down the various activities and asking attendees to gather in the Great Hall (community room). First there were door prizes awarded and then, the staff read the last chapter of book six to prepare everyone for what was coming.

It was a long line of people waiting outside the Almaden Branch Library for the event that would culminate in the release of the seventh and final Harry Potter book on July 20.

The library staff, as well as staff members from the other branches, showed up in costume and helped run the activities. Among those attending were branch manager Pam Crider, who was dressed as Hermionie. Since Hermionie is the smartest witch of her generation, she obviously was running the History of Hogwarts activity. Sandra Steward, the youth services coordinator for the San Jose Public Library System, based at the Martin Luther King Jr. library, led the event with other staff members contributing to the planning and working with it and clerical staff helping out after midnight, when it was time to check out the books.

“We were very pleased,” said Crider, not just with the more than 400 people attending, but with the staff that helped plan and run the event. “This was a system-wide event and it drew staff members from through out the system. The clerical staff helped check out the books and enabled that part of the evening to run easily,” she said.

Checking out the books was no easy job. Out of the 400 books ordered by the library, only about 70 people had designated the Almaden branch as their pick-up station. Others, who designated other branches, had to wait until Saturday morning to pick up their copy at the branch that they had reserved the book.

Those attending were a mix of ages, although the largest number were younger children with parents. There were teens there and also a lot of adult Harry Potter fans. Many of the original readers started reading the books as elementary or middle school students. In the ensuing 10 years, they have grown up to be young adults themselves, but continue to read the books.

Finally, at midnight, the staff began checking out the books. The first person in line, opened the book after receiving it and said, “The first word is ‘The.’” and walked out reading the book.