Library magic found in more than books

 

[July 16, 2018] 

Everybody knows that libraries contain magic in the books that fill the shelves. The Lincoln Public Library added to that magic by inviting magician Tim Stolba for their Thursday morning entertainment for the summer reading program “Reading Takes You Everywhere.”

Tim Stolba hails from Cedar Rapids, Iowa and did his first magic show when he was fourteen years old. He has been doing it part time ever since, but decided to give up his long-time day job and do magic full time three years ago. He has been booking over one hundred shows a year ever since. “I took a chance and decided to follow my dream to do magic full time,” he said. “I love every minute of it,” he added. It was evident that his audience of young readers was glad he did. He is so excited by magic that he even opened the only bricks and mortar magic shop in Iowa.

Whether he was performing the cut rope trick, card tricks, or sawing one of his volunteers in half, he had the kids in the palm of his hand. Yes, he had a young volunteer lie on a box and sawed through him with an electric saw. His volunteer did walk away in one piece. He even levitated a young man with no support after removing the chairs that were holding him up.

The magic combined with his fun interaction with the kids really made for a wonderful hour. “I like to do magic, but throwing some slapstick in really gets my audience laughing. That is the fun part of the show for me,” he said.

Tim Stolba told his audience that he went to the library as a kid and checked out every book on magic. He even told them that they could do the same at the Lincoln Public Library. “Just go to section 793.8,” he told them.

A magician who knows the Dewey Decimal System is serious about his craft.

The entertainment at the Lincoln Public Library Summer Reading Program concludes Thursday of this week with Silly Safaris. Contact the staff at the Youth Services desk to let them know you will be attending. The number is 217-732-5732.

[Curtis Fox]