AnimeConvention

Title:

Anime Convention

Brief Description:

A fun-filled party for fans of Japanese manga and anime.

Materials Needed:

Refreshments

Paper

Pencils

Paper Cups

Paper Plates

Napkins

Cost:

Depends on your budget and expected attendance. The Derry Public Library spent $75 for food and solicited $75 worth of prizes for each Anime Convention held at the Library during the past two years.

Program Procedure:

A good first start is to get input from teens you know will attend the event. Ask them the following: What would you like to have at this event? When would you like to have this event? Would you assist me in running the event? Getting their input and support helps you plan a convention that teens will enjoy.

Below are some activities recommended by teens:

Drawing Contest:
Provide attendees with paper and pencils. Give them one to two hours to draw anything anime-related. Allow other attendees to vote on best drawing. Award winner a prize if available.

Costume Contest:
Encourage attendees to dress as their favorite anime character. Have all attendees vote on the best costume. Award winner a prize if available.

Yu-Gi-Oh! (or other Anime-related card game) Tournament:
Divide tournament participants into groups of two. Have the two within each group play each other. They decide on the rules and the winner advances to the next round. Divide the winners into groups of two and repeat process until a winner is declared in the final round. Award winner a prize if available. Tournaments can be very time-consuming. It can take over three hours to complete a tournament of 15 participants. Plan accordingly and set a maximum number of participants if high turnout is anticipated.

Trivia Contest:
Write up questions using a combination of anime trivia websites, your knowledge of anime, or the knowledge of teen library patrons. Make it like a game show. You could use PowerPoint to create a Jeopardy! atmosphere. Use bells, buzzers, or have participants raise their hands to answer questions. Award winner a prize if available.

Video Games:
Have Anime video games for attendees to play. If Library doesn’t have a game console and games, ask people to bring theirs to the Library. Have a video game tournament to make it interesting.

For prizes, obtain anime merchandise or obtain gift cards to local stores selling anime merchandise. Solicit donations from local businesses or ask the Friends of your library for financial support.

Plan a schedule of activities and give each attendee a list of activities.

Provide plenty of food!!!

Useful Planning Resources For Librarians:

The Anime-ted Library – by Kat Kan and Kristin Fletcher-Spear http://pdfs.voya.com/VO/YA2/VOYA200504AnimetedLibrary.pdf

The Librarian’s Guide to Anime and Manga - http://www.koyagi.com/Libguide.html

Related Materials For Display\Resource List For Teens:

Promote your library’s manga/anime collection by having a display and/or create a reading list for distribution at this event.

Additional Comments:

Anime Conventions held by the industry can be expensive and usually involves a trip out-of-state. Hosting a free Anime Convention @ your library gives your patrons a chance to have some fun locally and to promote your library’s anime/manga collection. The Derry Public Library has one each summer. Teens are requesting that the Library has more than one per year.

Contact Information Of Library Submitting Program:

Derry Public Library

64 E. Broadway

Derry NH

03038

http://www.derry.lib.nh.us

http://www.myspace.com/derrypubliclibrary