Felonious Bookbender was spotted trying to recruit apprentices to his villainous schemes at Ballarat Library on Saturday morning’s Be the Hero, Be the Villain launch party. Most junior heroes turned him down, instead opting to save the world.

The event kicked off a bumper summer of reading club and heroic (or villainous) activities across the city’s libraries, including Sebastopol, Wendouree and outreach trucks, all summer long. Young heroes and villains could pick up their hero or villain passport, make a mask, put their poster in the rogues’ gallery or scavenger hunt super words – and, of course, pick up their summer reading lists.

Ballarat Library had about 50 caped and masked children get started and hope more will join their cause.

The summer will culminate in a special Harry Potter event on February 2 in which Ballarat Library will transform into Hogwarts, Azkaban and Diagon Alley.