The Warwick Public Library held its Fan Festival this past Saturday, attracting visitors from throughout the state - and from neighboring galaxies.  "We gave away about 200 prize baskets during our scavenger hunt," said children's librarian Corey Paul, coordinator of the event.  "A lot of those were teams of siblings, however, so I'd estimate the actual turnout at about 300 children."

The event celebrated various popular media franchises, including Harry Potter, Star Trek, Star Wars, and Percy Jackson.  At the heart of the festival was the library's annual participation in Free Comic Book Day - all participants were given a comic of their choice from DC, Marvel, or Disney, among other options.

Many guests dressed up as their favorite characters - although the dress code was flexible.  "The kids all got really into it, and there were a few adults who did as well," said Paul, who dressed as a Harry Potter character for the event.  "But most of the parents just wore a superhero tee shirt or something inconspicuous."

According to Paul, Star Wars was the most popular theme among attendees - possibly because of the guests of honor.  "We had New England Droid Works here with their fully functional R2D2, and about 60 people turned out for their presentation," Paul said.  The lecture not only gave attendees a chance to interact with a favorite character, it also introduced them to key concepts in robotics and computer science.

Although just a few days late for May the Fourth (be with you - a popular holiday for Star Wars fans), the Warwick Fan Fest also featured a visit by Stormtroopers from the 501st Legion.  "There were a lot of people who were excited to get pictures of their costumes next to these professional grade cosplayers," Paul said, referring to a popular Comic Con practice of dressing up as favorite characters. "Especially their Chewbacca - he had stilts so he was the proper Wookie height and everything."

Library Director (and Trekkie-in-residence) Aaron Coutu described events like this as a valuable means of library outreach.

"People think of the library as a quiet place, but sometimes you have to make a little noise," Coutu said.  "A quiet library is a dying library."