Books & Dragons

Help save the library from the greedy dragon! Join us for a family-friendly fantasy-themed special event for all ages and experience levels.

Come one, come all to Books & Dragons: A special event celebrating all things fantasy, dragons, table-top role-playing games, and, of course, books! Don your best costume and join us to create your own “potion,” traverse the library to find treasure, and fight the dragon to save the library. Plus, enjoy opportunities to learn more about or play Dungeons & Dragons. From the novice to the experienced, all ages and abilities are welcome. No registration**

Thank you to Mr. Fun's Costume & Curiosity Emporium for supplying library staff's medieval garb!

Activities:

**Some activities will require a ticket. Pick up tickets at the Town Crier's Information Table on the day of the event. All activities and presentations are free!

11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Encounter-based Scavenger Hunt | Library-Wide

11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. Design a 3D Miniature Character | Computer Lab**

11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. Alchemy Class with the Graefe Room Sorceress**

11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. Button Making | MakerSpace

12 - 4 p.m. DnD One-Off Games begin at 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m., & 3 p.m. | Sutliff Room**

12 - 1 p.m. "Monsters in Medieval Europe” by Dr. Lindsay Starkey of Kent State University | Chambers Room

1:30 - 2:30 p.m. “Table to Screen: D&D’s Journey to Fame” by TJ Shevlin

3 - 4 p.m. “J.R.R. Tolkien, Fantasy, and Dragons ” by Dr. Ann M. Martinez of Kent State University | Chambers Room

Anytime - Sew a Dice Bag (MakerSpace), "Potion" Craft (Graefe Room), and Mask Making (MakerSpace)

Prizes

• Pathfinder Kit, Dice, Gift Cards & more!

Presentations (held in the Chambers Room):

12 - 1 p.m. "Monsters in Medieval Europe” by Dr. Lindsay Starkey of Kent State University

After defining what monsters are, this talk explores the ancient and early Christian roots of medieval European monsters. It also examines how medieval Europeans turned people of other religions and ethnicities into monsters, making these people easier to hate, exploit, and harm.

1:30 - 2:30 p.m. “Table to Screen: D&D’s Journey to Fame” by TJ Shevlin

An entire generation of kids were exposed to Dungeons & Dragons on Saturday mornings before they ever knew there was a game. Forty years later, the show has seen a renewed life thanks to a new comic book series, appearances in the game, and a cameo in the blockbuster film, "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves." This talk will explore D&D's earliest jump from tabletop game to Hollywood through the 1980s cartoon series.

3 - 4 p.m. “J.R.R. Tolkien, Fantasy, and Dragons ” by Dr. Ann M. Martinez of Kent State University

J.R.R. Tolkien helped shape the world of fantasy by crafting the stories of Middle-Earth. He populated these stories with heroes, villains, and wonderous monsters. Of his many contributions, dragons are particularly key. This presentation will review the dragons that came before Tolkien, those that inspired him, those created by him, and the fantasy world that has followed.

Presenter Bios:

Dr. Lindsay Starkey is an Associate Professor of History at Kent State University where she teaches courses on world history as well as medieval and early modern Europe. She is the author of Encountering Water in Early Modern Europe and Beyond: Redefining the Universe through Natural Philosophy, Religious Reformations, and Sea Voyaging, which came out in Fall 2020 from Amsterdam University Press. Her current research explores the social networks that shaped the 1485 Innsbruck inquisition into diabolical witchcraft.

Dr. Ann Martinez is an Associate Professor of English at Kent State University at Stark, where she teaches classes on Medieval Literature, Monster Studies, Environmental Literature, Women’s Literature, and Shakespeare. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Kansas with a dissertation on the depictions of environmental awareness in medieval literature. Her research, some of which has been published in Arthuriana, and Studies in Medievalism, examines issues related to environmental guardianship and monstrosity as presented in the medieval literature, the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Check back for new sessions and events! Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter.

Upcoming Events