Free Comic Book Day 2019!

Every year, I’m so fortuitous to have a wonderful library system and support group that enables us to have a smooth Free Comic Book Day!

This year I tried something different. Previous years, I had all comic stacks sitting on the table. Anyone can come up and look and see the quantity of comics we have to determine what they wanted. Then they communicate to the volunteers what they want and that they’ll take the comic issue they want. The reason why it was set up as so was I wanted to emulate the tables seen at our local anime convention. Plus anyone could browse and not feel pressured to pick a comic if they didn’t want. The downside was, we would get patrons asking to switch out comics after they finished reading. I don’t want to say no but it wouldn’t be fair, right? There’s always having a sample for patrons to read before as an option, so there’s a positive side to this!

For the display, I labeled them with letters. That way people can see the covers and if interested but unsure about the character, they can give the volunteer a letter. Our volunteers sometimes have a list of titles but may not be well versed in graphic novels; I’ve received positive comments from volunteers that they like having this system of patrons saying they want letter A comic. Fast and efficient service!

Happy gif
Happy day!

Local artists drew and printed bookmarks which patrons can pick with their comic of choice. In addition to the comic and bookmark, patrons could enter for a chance to win one of two $20 gift certificates from Dragon’s Lair.

Accurate gif of happy people

We gave away over 200 comics from 10 am – 4:30 pm with the help of 4 volunteers! It was a rainy day but we made it through. Many thanks to the Friends of the Library of Hawaii, Hawaii State Public Library System, Friends of Mililani Public Library, Dragon’s Lair for the gift certificates and you!

For more information on Free Comic Book Day, check out their website at https://www.freecomicbookday.com/. Free Comic Book Day is held on the first Saturday of May. Contact your nearest library to find out if they’re participating in Free Comic Book Day!

Dungeons and Dragons Program

Success! For two consecutive Saturdays in October, the Aloha Adventurers Guild came to the library to teach the basics of Dungeons and Dragons to patrons. The goal was to encourage creativity, communication, and imagination when creating a character and going on an adventure. Needless to say, it was one of my favorite programs and I’m very happy with the Aloha Adventurers Guild. 10/10 would recommend! I would also like to thank and reference the American Library Association Games & Gaming Round Table for providing the juice to help fuel this program!

The first Saturday, the set-up included the following:

  • 4 areas comprised of 2 tables each. 2 areas were for new players/beginners, 1 area was for veteran players, and 1 area was for character creation and side quests aka Anything Goes.
    • Character creation/side quest arena was essentially the “Anything goes” sort of area. This table was useful for those who wanted to learn more about D&D, read character guides in-depth, test theories on character abilities/lore, and discuss without having a quest impeding the learning process.
      • Anything Goes area had a TV screen hooked up to a laptop. The maester of the area can use the TV to demonstrate techniques or show the character sheet and describe what each section is used for. The setup was also good to listen to YouTube videos on D&D.
    • Table markers were designated so those entering the room can check and go to the table they were most comfortable with. If unsure, a Guildmember would direct them.
  • In the middle was a small table for players to sign in for statistics but also if they wanted to subscribe to the Aloha Adventurers Guild newsletter for updates on their next game day events!
  • At fifteen minutes before ending time, a Dungeon Master/Game Master would alert the areas of impeding closure. This ensured the stories and discussions would draw to a close in a timely manner.
  • We had book displays! Books were available for players to borrow with their library cards. Plenty of Monster Manuals and Player Guides were borrowed both days.

The first Saturday we had close to 50 people. We played from 1 pm – 3 pm, 2 hours total.

Our second Saturday yielded less people (not quite close to 50) but enthusiastic players nonetheless! We had the same setup as before however we added an additional area. The guild advised that it would be best to gauge how many people would want to play a beginner adventure, a veteran adventure, or dabble in character creation so the last table was left up to the Guild to determine what should it be used for. We played the same amount of time, 2 hours from 1 pm – 3 pm.

Takeaways:

  • Two hours is the very bare minimum to host a D&D event. It would be preferable to go three to four hours however as the program was designed mainly for beginners, four hours seem very daunting. Should the program be successful and more consistent in terms of dates playing, three to four hours would be acceptable.
  • Table markers are our friends!
  • Whiteboards can be very useful when explaining game basics.
  • Costumes are not mandatory but always fun to have.
  • Kids as young as third grade were interested in playing with their parents. It brought into perspective the idea that D&D could be a family bonding game, thus breaking the mythos that the game is made for teens and adults only.
  • To differentiate the players from the Dungeon Masters and Advisors (2nd in command or assistants to the Dungeon Masters), I got kukui nut leis and glued polyhedral dice. It also helped the players in knowing who to ask for help.

Dungeons and Dragons “Don’t Split the Party!” List

Planning my fall programs and I’m super excited to say we’ll be hosting a Dungeons and Dragons program! I collaborated with my friend and this was the result, a resource list for both new and seasoned players ages 10 and up who are interested in Dungeons and Dragons.

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“Bwhahaha” Best pose! I’m ready for this! via giphy

I’m grateful that a local group of friends came together and created the Aloha Adventurer’s Guild. Their aim is to teach and guide players in creativity, communication and teamwork by playing tabletop gaming!

To note, the listing of stores are located on Oahu only. I hope one day to visit all game-related stores through the islands!

What is Dungeons and Dragons?
DnD, for short, is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game set in an imaginary world loosely based on medieval myth.

Why 5th Edition?
The 5th Edition of DnD gives flexibility and functionality to players while making room for more creativity. The aim is to create a unified edition that both seasoned and new players can enjoy.

Browse these non-fiction sections for more at the library:
Indoor Amusements: 793
Adventure Games: 793.932

Authors of Dungeons and Dragons Novels:

  • Norton Andre
  • Richard Baker
  • Bruce Robert Cordell
  • Troy Denning
  • Erin M. Evans
  • Tracy Hickman
  • Paul S. Kemp
  • A. Salvatore
  • Robert J. Schwalb
  • Lisa Smedman
  • Margaret Weis

Online Resources:
Wizards of the Coasthttps://bit.ly/1CM4pXY
Introduces DnD to new players. Official resource and website related to DnD.

Dungeon Masters Guild http://www.dmsguild.com/
Official source for Dungeon Masters.

DnD Adventurers Leaguehttps://bit.ly/2AXMWqR
Official DnD league offering materials and support running games.

DnD Beyond https://www.dndbeyond.com/
Includes useful tools such as character generators.

RPG Toolhttps://roll20.net/
Easy-to-use digital tool that can evolved from pen and paper.

5th Edition Rules/Reference – https://5thsrd.org/
Open rules related to 5th edition. Players are suggested to refer to start with Player’s Handbook.

Local Stores on Oahu:
Check out these stores to get your Dungeons and Dragons adventure started!

Armchair Adventurer
Dole Cannery, 650 Iwilei Road #160
Honolulu, HI 96817        Phone: (808) 843-1250
Carries everything from Warhammer 40k model kits to pop culture-inspired tabletop games. Book a separate room or join a game and meet new adventurers!

Dragon’s Lair
Space E-10, 95-1840 Meheula Parkway
Mililani, HI 96789           Phone: (808) 597-6981
Comic book store carrying Dungeons and Dragons manuals, dice, and kits. Check out their large comic book selection to get you inspired!

Other Realms
1130 North Nimitz Highway C-140
Honolulu, HI 96817        Phone: (808) 596-8236
From private rooms to comics and collectibles, Other Realms has a large stock to get your adventure started!

Westside Comics
590 Farrington Highway #538
Kapolei, HI 96707          Phone: (808) 674-2866
It isn’t just comics this shop sells on the west side, check out their Elite Membership program to earn points to grab special deals!

Cosplay Your Heart Out!

We had a successful turnout at our first ever Cosplay program!

happy anime

The wonderful Jen F., the Artist Librarian presented on:

  • The definition of Cosplay
  • Her Cosplay progression
  • Cosplay planning (time, budget, accuracy)
  • Creation versus Purchasing
  • Props
  • Resources
  • Local conventions Cosplayers meet

I was enraptured and impressed by our presenter. Her love of Cosplay grew from her hobby of sewing! Our library is very grateful for having a Cosplay program possible this summer and based on the positive feedback received, I would definitely be open to hosting the program again. I highly recommend having Jen present on Cosplay. She reads the crowd easily, goes into detail, answers questions, and is knowledgeable in many aspects of this niche art.

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Learning Outcomes
I feel our patrons were able to be exposed to a different pop culture niche. Cosplay has been increasingly popular in the U.S. to the point of people becoming professional Cosplayers, creating and modeling their own creations for conventions and publishers. At several conventions I’ve attended, there are panels on Cosplay that normally you can only enter with a paid ticket however our library was able to offer this informative panel for free. Attendees learned feasible ways of planning their Cosplay with the understanding that anyone can dress up! From accurate-on-the-spot renditions to crossplay to genderbending cosplay, there’s something for everyone.

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I’m itching to cosplay again. *Looks at cosplay-less closet* In due time, in due time. Following Jen’s tip, gotta plan it first!

Summer Reading 2018 – Calm Before the Storm

Summer Reading 2018 is here!

haruhi
Excited Haruhi Suzumiya via GIPHY

CAN YOU FEEL IT?

We got programs up the wazoo! This year we combined programs to be more family oriented. The following programs are being put together by our library:

  • Ani-Mazing Anime Programs: A continuation from before summer, bi-monthly anime showings with discussion. Three episodes shown and patrons can vote for the next episode.
  • Cosplay Your Heart Out: My good friend and awesome cosplayer will be showing cosplay techniques and thrifty shopping to create a cosplay based on your favorite pop culture character!
  • Darin Miyashiro and Co. Japanese Koto Performance: Local Koto musician Darin Miyashiro will be doing a Koto performance for patrons of all ages.
  • Every Body Rocks Family Talent Show: Families can sign up to sing or play musical instruments for an audience!
  • Family Craft Time: Family members (caregivers and teens/children) are able to sign up to do crafts together! The Children’s Librarian is in charge and taught me how to do the craft so to be in charge of a class out of three classes. I’m not a crafty person (my origami cranes are sad cranes) so this gives me hope.
  • Musical Movie Mondays: Every Monday at 3:30 pm, we’ll be showing a musical-themed movie. So far we have SingLa La LandPitch Perfect 3Moana, and Coco. All movies are up to PG-13.

Here’s to Summer Reading 2018!