BY KEVIN SHALVEY
Hopkinton Town Library director Elizabeth Levy stopped reading the “Harry Potter” book series after the fourth installment, but she’s apparently in the minority.
“For the first four, I was very into them, but after that they didn’t have much appeal,” said Levy.
For the library, she’s ordered four copies of the most recent, and final, Potter book, which is to be released internationally on Saturday, July 21. She’s already had four reservations put on the book.
The book, titled “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” tops out at 784 pages. But the length won’t deter children who’ve read the other six books, said Baker Free Library children’s librarian Jennifer Ericsson.
“It doesn’t intimidate them,” said Ericsson of the 15 children who’ve reserved the book already. “This weekend will be a very quiet weekend all around the world.”
For the Baker Free Library, she’s ordered five copies of the young adult novel.
Ericsson said she’s also a fan. There’s a worldwide argument about whether the title character will die in the final installment.
“I want to see how (J.K. Rowling) ends it. I have my own theory about how it ends and I want to see if I’m right,” she said.
In both libraries, the six other Potter installments have been flying off the shelves with children and adults catching up or re-reading.
“We’re replacing some of the older ones because they’ve separated,” said Levy, holding a copy of the first book, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” split along the spine.
At the Baker Free Library, Ericsson said the nearly two-shelves-full of Potter books, audio tapes and movies are checked out in anticipation of the new release, which is listed as the number one bestseller in the United States on amazon.com.
Both librarians said they’re hoping the book doesn’t arrive late.
“It should get here on Friday in time to be processed – in time because we’ve got people who are already waiting,” said Ericsson.
They might get the book on Friday, July 20, but they aren’t giving the ending away until it’s time.
“We have kind of signed our lives away by saying we won’t let it our before it is time,” said Levy.