Catch them all at Walton Library's Pokemon Day
Jul. 29—Pokemon fans will have a new opportunity to catch them all Saturday as the Walton Tipton Township Public Library, 110 N. Main St., hosts Pokemon Day from noon until 2 p.m.
"Pokemon Go," the hit mobile game, will be the big focus, with the library offering digital lures that can attract the creatures. In the game, players are encouraged to walk and explore in real life while using their phones to search for virtual Pokemon. They can try to capture found Pokemon by flicking Pokeballs at them on their phone.
Jacqueline Dwigans-Merritt, the teen librarian assistant, organized the event. She said the Walton library is a Pokestop and there are several other Pokestop and gyms nearby.
A Pokestop is a location such as a business or monument players can walk to and be rewarded with game items they can use to catch Pokemon. Gyms allow players to battle a rival team's Pokemon that are guarding the location. If defeated the opposing team takes control of the gym.
"I'm a huge big nerd and I have loved Pokemon pretty much my whole life," said Dwigans-Merritt. "I just wanted to bring some geeky flare into the library."
She recalled coming home from school as a child and watching the "Pokemon" cartoon. The next day she would then want to discuss the episode with kids at school.
"(Pokemon) got me into reading and actually talking to people about things I was interested in," she said.
Her love of Pokemon continues as an adult. She even has a tattoo of the ghost-type Pokemon known as Haunter.
Along with "Pokemon Go," library visitors may bring their "Pokemon Trading Card Game" decks and battle with friends old and new. Or they can bring their Nintendo Switch and play along with others in any of the current Pokemon games on the console. Dwigans-Merrit hopes to bring her Nintendo 64, released in 1996, so fans can experience the original "Pokemon Snap" video game, which tasked players with combing the wilds and taking pictures of the Pokemon they saw.
Visitors can also check out physical copies of the "Pokemon" Manga comic books or learn how to access them, and other books, on the online digital library system Libby.
Dwigans-Merritt said video games are great at challenging players to think critically, improving hand-eye coordination and encouraging players to read. They also offer much needed escapism.
She hopes people of all ages will come out and participate in Pokemon Day. And she has more community days in the work. While nothing is set in stone, she hinted at a potential "Stranger Things" day to celebrate the Halloween season.
"It's always really good to bring the community together," Dwigans-Merritt said. "It's good to open (the library) up and remind the community that we are here, that we aren't just books. We have other resources. We are a good place for you to come and feel accepted."
