Join Wyo4News each week as we check out what’s going on at the Sweetwater County Library. This week’s column was written by Lindsey Travis, Assistant Library Director for the Sweetwater County Libary System.
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Grab your sonic screwdrivers and head to White Mountain Library today! The library is hosting WyoCon, our annual fan convention. I’m a big fan of Doctor Who, so it’s exciting that Doctor Who is part of the convention this year. We will have a screening of the 1996 Doctor Who movie along with a panel discussion about the show.
While it may not be obvious, events like WyoCon and other fan conventions do a lot to boost literacy. Fandoms, in general, have a big following and along with the movies and TV shows, they have comic books, novels, graphic novels, and fan fiction that encourage people to read. If a TV show or other fandom encourages people to read, we’re in!
I credit a TV show fandom for holding my interest in reading as a teenager. I was a big fan of Star Trek, and Star Trek novels were the only thing I read outside of school assignments. While my reading tastes have changed significantly over the years, I credit Star Trek for keeping me reading at an age when many people simply stop reading for pleasure. It doesn’t matter what you read, as long as you’re reading. For the record, the libraries have Star Trek novels. We also have Doctor Who-based novels and graphic novels.
So, back to WyoCon. This year’s event will focus on several fandoms. We’ll have panels on Star Wars, Firefly, and Harry Potter (talk about a literary-based fandom!). We will also have an author panel, more movie screenings, vendors, and a Magic the Gathering Event hosted by The Dugout. Did I mention that we have Magic the Gathering-based novels at the library as well? Check them out! And, don’t forget to get dressed up for WyoCon — we will have a Cosplay contest and selfie stations around the library.
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WyoCon Schedule – April 27, 11:30 a.m. — 4:30 p.m. @ White Mountain Library
11:30 AM — The Ultimate Trivia Challenge (Play all day!!)
12:00 PM — 1:00 PM — Star Wars Panel moderated by Jeiremy Gomez
12:00 PM — 1:20 PM — Screening 1 – Doctor Who (1996 Movie)
12:30 PM — Magic: The Gathering Pre-Release Event hosted by The Dugout
12:30 PM — 1:30 PM — Firefly Panel moderated by Tony Hills
1:30 PM — 2:00 PM — Harry Potter Panel moderated by Danielle Thompson
1:40 PM — 3:00 PM — Screening 2 – Serenity (Firefly)
2:00 PM — 3:00 PM — Doctor Who Panel moderated by Dr. Dana Petermann
3:00 PM — 4:00 PM — Author Panel moderated by Aaron Volner
4:00 PM — 4:30 PM — Cosplay Contest Finals
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