Anime Club at the Tehachapi Library

Many think of the library as a sort of time capsule that hasn't changed much over the years: a quiet place where you might go to find a book or maybe use a computer, but if this is all you think happens at the library, you haven't been to our library lately. The library does still provide books and a quiet place to study and read if you need it, but you will get a glimpse of something completely different if you go to the Tehachapi Library, located at 212 S Green St., on a Friday afternoon once school is out. Fridays, downstairs from 3-5 p.m. we have a rotating schedule of programming for teens and young adults: Anime Club, Cosplay Sewing Circle, and Fantasy Gaming club which involves games of Pathfinder and Magic the Gathering, and these groups tend to be anything but quiet.

For example, on the First Friday of every month, our Anime Club meets. Their activities vary anywhere from Japanese Karaoke to making foam swords, but they are currently working on a much more involved project of their own design. Every month they are collaborating and coming up with original characters, creating a story around those characters, and then drawing their own anime. They aren't alone either. Veteran artist and animator Jeremy Buenavente (whose credits include Batman the Animated Series) is there helping them out. Every month Jeremy is working with them as a consultant: giving them insight to how the industry actually works and helping them develop their ideas into an actual story. Their final work will then be presented at the Library's annual Comic Con event in June, so that the club members can show off their creations to the entire community. These clubs give teens and young adults the opportunity to collaborate with different members of the community and gain valuable experience in the process. I, for one, cannot wait to see what they come up with in June.

See page 22 for more happenings at the Tehachapi Library.