By Maggie Lillis
Special for The State News
Characters from popular literature were set free from the pages of books Saturday.
The Capital Area District Library in Lansing kicked off National Library Week with "Characters Come Alive at Your Library," in which staff members dressed up as characters from popular books. The free event incorporated acts from local theater groups and storytelling with crafts and contests for patrons of all ages.
National Library Week, an annual observance sponsored by the American Library Association, is held to promote libraries as an important resource and to encourage the reading of both classic and contemporary pieces of literature.
Hester Prynne, from "The Scarlet Letter," and Professor Snape, from the Harry Potter series, helped a child make slime, while Cleopatra, from Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra," looked on.
East Lansing resident Becky Lesmez attended the event with her daughter and her daughter's friend, and said she supports the observance of the week.
"(It) draws people in," Lesmez said. "Libraries have a lot to offer outside of the traditional view of stacks of books."
After learning to make a Middle Earth bookmark, an African rain stick or a rag doll, guests listened to the story corresponding to their craft.
Public services librarian Zandra Blake, dressed as Nyasha from Mufaro's "Beautiful Daughters," helped with the rain stick craft.
Blake said planning crafts was difficult because they wanted to make them unique to each character.
Head librarian Kathy Johnson said although this was a family event, some activities were set aside for older audiences in group discussions about novels.
The discussions focused on the growing popularity of the graphic novel genre. Guests were also challenged to a "Name the Character" contest throughout the four-hour event. The winner received prizes donated by local theater groups.
John Fierst, head of public services at the library, said he hopes to make the event annual.
Fierst donned a Natty Bumppo costume from "The Last of the Mohicans."
"It's really the product of the staff working together," Fierst said. "I hope we get to do it again."
For All-of-Us Express Children's Theatre's Artistic Director Evelyn Weymouth, joining literature and theater was an obvious match.
"I don't know what a better fit is than for theater and characters to come alive," Weymouth said.
The All-of-Us Express Children's Theatre group performed excerpts from upcoming productions based on a Hans Christian Andersen tale and Cinderella.
The young actors tour schools and local events performing their plays. "Hola! Cinderella" appears in late April at the Riverwalk Theatre, home of the Community Circle Players.
For more information on National Library Week activities, visit www.cadl.org/events/spring05/nlw.htm.
