PITTSTON — Kara Boube, of Wyoming, and Hannah Seyer, of Pittston, had a plethora of books sitting in front of them, from “Harry Potter” to “Lord of the Rings,” at the Pittston Memorial Library.

The girls, ages 14 and 16 respectively, were not at the library to read the books, but rather cut up their pages and decorate shoes.

The activity was part of a new club at the Pittston Memorial Library called the Fangirls Fan Club, started by Kozak in October.

“They’re upcycling their shoes,” said Noelle Kozak, Teen Programming Coordinator. “Basically, they’re just taking their old shoes and they’re just going through old copies of books that we can’t use anymore and maybe they’ll cut out favorite phrases or chapters and get some kind of sense of what kind of shoe they’re making. After they’re done cutting, they’ll glue the pieces to their shoes.”

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Kozak said the girls can still wear their shoes, but not on rainy days when the paper would get ruined.

The girls cut out various sentences from their favorite books, such as a sentence like, “She dreamed of the tree” or “How perfect piece.” The purpose was for them to choose sentences that spoke specifically to them, whether it was on a deep emotional level or something they found humorous.

Despite the name “fangirls,” Kozak said the group is for both boys and girls and “fangirl” is just an expression used to say one is excited about something with which they are familiar.

The program is for kids whom Boub considers part of “fandoms.”

“You’re in a thing called a fandom which is where everybody in that particular group all has the same taste in something,” she said.

Kozak, who is in charge of other teen-related groups at the library such as Teen Reading Lounge (TRL) and Teen Advisory Group (TAG), asked her members if they would be interested in the program before going though the process of starting the club.

“I brought it to them first and they were really excited about it,” she said. “It’s all about congregating with people who like the same things you do and ‘nerding out’ about it. You can be with other people who are in these different kinds of fandoms and, even if they don’t like the same thing you do, they can relate to the passion that you have about it.”

After teens in other groups gave their approval, Kozak brought up the idea to her fellow staff members and the group, which meets at 5:30 p.m. the third Thursday of every month and currently has about eight members, was formed.

As Seyer and Boub continued decorating their shoes, they commented on what made them join the new group.

“First, I visited the library to join TRL and then I heard of this,” said Seyer. “The rest is history.”

While the Fangirls Fan Club is still fairly new, it helps the girls feel at home with fellow fandom friends.

“It’s a very open atmosphere and it’s something safe,” said Boub. “I’m looking forward to more fun ideas and more activities.”

Sixteen-year-old Hannah Seyer, of Pittston, cuts out sentences from a Harry Potter book she will glue to an old pair of shoes for an activity with the Pittston Memorial Library’s new group, the Fangirls Fan Club. The club meets at 5:30 p.m. the third Thursday of each month.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_PML-Fangirls-2.jpg.optimal.jpgSixteen-year-old Hannah Seyer, of Pittston, cuts out sentences from a Harry Potter book she will glue to an old pair of shoes for an activity with the Pittston Memorial Library’s new group, the Fangirls Fan Club. The club meets at 5:30 p.m. the third Thursday of each month.

An old shoe decorated with sentences and phrases cut from a Harry Potter book was made for an activity for the Pittston Memorial Library’s new club, the Fangirls Fan Club. The club meets at 5:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_PML-Fangirls-4.jpg.optimal.jpgAn old shoe decorated with sentences and phrases cut from a Harry Potter book was made for an activity for the Pittston Memorial Library’s new club, the Fangirls Fan Club. The club meets at 5:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month.

Wyoming resident Kara Boub, 14, cuts sentences from a Harry Potter book she will glue to an old pair of shoes for an activity with the Pittston Memorial Library’s new group, the Fangirls Fan Club. The club meets at 5:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month.
http://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_PML-Fangirls-6.jpg.optimal.jpgWyoming resident Kara Boub, 14, cuts sentences from a Harry Potter book she will glue to an old pair of shoes for an activity with the Pittston Memorial Library’s new group, the Fangirls Fan Club. The club meets at 5:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month.
Fangirls Fan Club offers teens a chance to explore their inner nerd with various activities

By Jimmy Fisher

jfisher@timesleader.com

Want to join?

The Fangirls Fan Club is for anyone ages 12 to 18 and meets at 5:30 p.m. the third Thursday of every month at the Pittston Memorial Library, 47 Broad St., Pittston. Call the library at 570-654-9565 to register.