Selbyville Public Library staff members are busy readying their biggest community event of the year: the Haunted Library. The 16-year-old tradition is set to return from 6 to 8 p.m., Halloween, Wednesday, Oct. 31, as library transforms into a haunted attraction of epic proportions.

Last year, more than 500 patrons turned out to enjoy the Haunted Library, and Director Kelly Kline is anticipating another recordbreaking turnout this Halloween night. Kline said, “The Haunted Library grows in complexity every year, therefore we need more time to set up. We are going to close down the library Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 29 and 30, to ensure that we will be ready.”

In order to make all this scream-worthy fun possible, Kline is also asking for community volunteers for setup, breakdown and the performance part of the evening. “Setup and breakdown generally happen at times that are inconvenient for our school-aged volunteers, so we need adults for that. However, for the dramatic event, we love using students with acting backgrounds, ages 13 and up.”

Kline credits volunteers with making the event such a success over the years, including Josh Vickers, who designs and builds the incredible sets, and her own husband, Tony Kline, who has an outstanding knack for automation. The Haunted Library is a free attraction for families with children of all ages, but donations are accepted at the door.

Kline said the library is a place that helps break down barriers of all kinds, including financial. She said, “It’s great to put on something like this, where it’s free, old-fashioned fun. Other attractions charge a lot of money, and that’s simply out of reach for a lot of families.” Kline added that the event does try for genuine scares, and anyone who enters is fair game. While no child will be turned away, this event is most appropriate for children ages 7 and up.

To register, contact Kline at Selbyville Public Library, 302-436-8195, or go to www.selbyvillelibrary.org.