PROVO — Harry Potter might find it easier to capture a golden snitch than magically provide a year's worth of free Friday night movies for the Provo City Library.
The library is asking Potter for help to pay its $2,500 annual fee for the license-to-show movies, but so far there are just six takers for the "Harry Potter Marathon Movie Fund-raiser" on Friday the 13th.
The idea is to lure Potter junkies to the library's ballroom to watch the first two movies and eat free popcorn for $5 each or $25 per family.
"In the past we have always paid for the movie license ourselves," said Amber Lowe, the librarian in charge of Friday movies. "With such tight budget times, we're trying to get a little help this year."
A little help is about right so far, but library director Gene Nelson maintained hope that many more folks will pitch in by Aug. 13. That doesn't mean he expects to be forced to turn away potential viewers and contributors:
The ballroom can't hold more than 400 people.
"That would be a great problem to have," Nelson said.
An average of 40 to 50 people attend the weekly free showings of movies ranging from classics to "Finding Nemo."
However many Potter-maniacs or philanthropists show up, the library will shoulder the rest of the financial burden for the license, Lowe said.
This week's Friday Night Movie — free to all — is "Spy Kids." The fund-raising Potter doubleheader next week is followed by "Thoroughly Modern Millie" on Aug. 20, "Inspector Gadget" on Aug. 27 and "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2" on the first two Fridays of September.
E-mail: twalch@desnews.com