In the  movie The Dark Knight Rises, Bruce Wayne dressed as Batman, tells a police officer that he wears a mask to not hide WHO he is, but rather to CREATE what he is, impling that through that costume he is able to be anyone, and anyone could be him, releasing him from the expectations of his real self. Costumes have a way of doing that, releasing us from the burdens and embarrassments of who we are and allow some of us to be more outgoing, to speak to strangers, to act, or to dance without reservation. Costumes can liberate us, allowing us to be more outgoing and expressive, which is the spirit of the lighthearted, no expectations, Family Cosplay Night at the Stewart C. Meyer Public Library.

Lisa Youngblood, the library director, said that the Family Cosplay night is an event where people can dress up, or not, to celebrate their fandom. Whether that’s creating your  costume by hand, to be screen accurate, or just wearing a t-shirt of your favorite show all were welcome. “We just want to give people a place to belong with their people, and to be able to cosplay at whatever level they are at.”

The 2 hour event offered space for more reserved cosplayers to sit at tables and do arts and crafts, while a DJ kept those looking to break-out of their shell a chance to dance the night away under lights and with other masked or fully costumed characters like Pikachu. 

“I think this is an excellent opportunity for people to express their creativity,” said Youngblood, “ because for some people, putting the costume together is their creative expression and from a library standpoint we love that everything here connects to literature, we have books on every costume you see in here tonight.”