The El Paso Main Public Library swapped quiet reading rooms for lightsabers, wigs and capes during Library-Con: Borderland Heroes on Sept. 20. The downtown building became a comic convention where families, artists, gamers and fans gathered for a free day of panels, contests and fun.
Erika Fibela, production and marketing coordinator for the library, said the team spent nearly six months planning the event to highlight that the library serves as more than a place for books and with the intent to highlight how special the border city is.
“We’ve been planning this for about six months. I think so far, we’ve been very supported by the community. You know it’s our first year, and we hope this could be one of our signature events.”
The theme “Borderland heroes” was meant to show that anyone can be a hero, from kids, parents and grandparents to first responders. The library hoped the event would encourage more people to return and explore its programs or even sign up for a free library card.
“I think people in the community haven’t stepped in the library for a long time,” Fibela said. “So, seeing the amazing space, maybe they can come back. It’s not just these big events; we provide a lot of services to the community.”
Across three floors, the library offered something for everyone: an Artists Alley of local creators and small businesses, gaming and cosplay lounges, hands on demos and a cat cafe hosted by El Paso Animal Services. There was also a splatter room tent where guests could throw paint and take-home colorful masterpieces. Upstairs, vendors and panels covered everything from crafting to comics.
Bianca Primero, who ran the pop-culture ship Glitter Pop Explosion with her mother, said that while they often attend conventions around El Paso, she enjoyed the fact that this one was free.
“We try to showcase fan culture. [We] try to showcase that with a bunch of different products, a lot of underrated stuff,” Primero said. “That’s one of my favorite take-aways, seeing people get excited about the fact that we have not just the popular stuff but a little bit of everything. So, I love that.”
Costumes filled the halls, from anime characters to superheroes, even a tiny Wednesday Addams. By the afternoon, children and adults crowded the auditorium for the costume contest, which celebrated both creativity and performance. One of the costumes was a towering Wookiee, brought to life by Wiliam Watkins, a member of the Rebel Legion cosplay group, who posed for photos alongside his wife, April Bryant.
“I think [my] favorite part is the free books, they have a cart of free books for kids. I like that there’s a mix of vendors,” Bryant said. “You have people with handcrafted things, and you have artists kind of spread out throughout the library, so you get to see the different levels of the facilities.”
Local artist, Pablo Martinez, also joined Artist Alley, selling illustrations, comics and coloring books. He said supporting the library and interacting with fans made the day worthwhile.
“Really the best part for me is talking to people as they come up,” Martinez said. “If I talk to someone and they also like it [his interests], I love having that follow up conversation with them. Don’t be ashamed of liking the library, because it’s the best place to get free information.”
Ria Hong, who dressed as the Vocaloid character Kagamine Len, said she learned about Library con through social media and was eager to check it out.
“A lot of my friends have been sharing the post about it being the first event of its kind, and I just had to check it out,” Hong said. “I thought it’d be fun to attend at least one time, especially since a big draw of it was that it was going to be kind of like a convention. I’m having a blast.”
As the event wrapped up, Fibela said the strong turnout showed how much the community values creative spaces like Library-Con. For her, it’s proof that the library can be more than a resource, it can be a hub.
Jewel Ocampo is a Staff Reporter and may be reached at [email protected].
