All aboard for Schlow Centre Region Library’s Polar Express

A group of children huddle together in the corner of the Schlow Centre Region Library’s children’s department, not entirely silent, but nonetheless attentive to the woman and two elves in front of them.

They are hearing, some for the first time, the story of a little boy and his trip to the North Pole. A little boy who, though assured by a friend of Santa Claus’ nonexistence, still waits to hear the sound of sleigh bells on his home.

And so begins the story of “The Polar Express,” by Chris Van Allsburg, and the annual reading of the story for children and parents at the library. Sunday marked the final day of the event, but that didn’t stop families from coming out by the dozens to participate.

“ ‘The Polar Express’ is a cooperative venture between the downtown businesses of State College and Schlow Library,” said head of children’s services Anita Ditz, who said the event has been an annual holiday staple for “at least 15 years.”

The story is first read to the children at the library by a volunteer with “helper elves” displaying the illustrations as the story progresses. About 10 volunteers, many current or former teachers, had given their time to read this season, Ditz said, and about 15 youth had volunteered for other duties.

Families are encouraged to register for the event beforehand to secure a spot on the trolley, she said. In the days leading up to the event, getting a spot can get as hectic as a rock concert, with some opting to come directly to the library to register if they can’t get through on the phone.

Doyle Wilkerson, of State College, said she’s been volunteering to read “The Polar Express” since the event started. As a retired kindergarten teacher, she said she misses sharing literature with kids and looks forward to the reading each year.

She admitted she wasn’t a fan of the film version and said she always hopes to meet children who haven’t seen the movie beforehand. She also said she sometimes has trouble reading the parts where the older children and adults have lost the feeling of Christmas.

“It’s just a nice story about staying childlike inside,” she said.

After the story, she said, the children get a pouch containing a sleigh bell, like the boy in the story, and a downtown dollar coin to be spent at Santa’s Workshop. Families then load onto a Fullington Trolley — the library’s own Polar Express — and are driven on a short trip to the State College Municipal Building, where the workshop is located.

The trolley and the workshop come courtesy of the Downtown Improvement District, district Executive Director George Arnold said. Located on the second floor of the borough building, the workshop allows families to get a picture of Santa and children to purchase a small toy with their dollar coin.

The event is part of the yearly DID budget, he said, which comes from the property and business owners within the district’s boundaries. Several organizations stepped up with volunteers as well, including the Rotary Club of State College and Stepping Stones Community Church.

“The events the improvement district are involved in are usually family friendly,” Arnold said, “giving families something fun to do in State College. We also work to keep the downtown clean.”

The event builds a sense of community, Ditz said, but also gets families in the library that may have never been there before.

“It lets them know what a wonderful resource we are for them,” she said. “Families with small children find out its a great place to congregate and meet other adults while their children play.”

This story was originally published December 13, 2015 at 7:45 PM with the headline "All aboard for Schlow Centre Region Library’s Polar Express."