Shawna Roth regularly visits the downtown Rapid City Public Library with her 5-year-old son, Brady, and her 2-year-old daughter, Addison. But on Saturday, they journeyed across town to the Rapid City Public Library's north branch at General Beadle Elementary School to check out a cultural fair.

"It's fun to see other cultural things," Roth said. "We don't have much opportunity for that in Rapid City - and it's free."

"Worlds Connect at the Library" was the theme for this year's National Library Week, and to celebrate locally, John Pappas, the library's outreach services coordinator, invited vibrant, cultural community groups to entice people to the northern branch.

Diverse groups such as the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology's India Club, the Sons of Norway, and the Germans from Russia Heritage Society served food, dressed in traditional garb and shared information about their cultures.

"I don't want people to say, 'I didn't know there was a library over there,'" Pappas said about the northern branch. "It should be a staple in the community. Luckily, the north branch has been used a lot lately."

On her first visit there, Roth emphasized the importance of getting her kids interested in reading and other cultures, even at a young age: "I think the more you know about other cultures, the more you know about yourself."

Brady and other young boys were enthralled by the Society for Creative Anachronism's demonstrations. Dressed in medieval battle gear, the men performed unchoreographed fights. Their weapons clashed and clanged as the boys watched with excitement on their faces.

"For us, it's the camaraderie of the fighting, the thrill of the battle, the learning how to wield a sword," said Normon Thornton, one of the demonstrators.

Nathan Gordon, a first-grader at Pinedale Elementary School, said the fighting demonstration was his favorite part.

"They were doing really cool tricks," Nathan said as he and his friend Xzavier Merrill fought like the men, but with imaginary weapons.

Men and women from the Sons of Norway group showed off their folk dancing skills with wide grins on their faces. The crowd's cameras flashed like lightning, answered by the dancers' thunderous claps between steps.

"Some of the Norwegians say that we are more Norwegian than they are," said Val Flagstad, who is a member of the Sons of Norway. "Most of us are second- or third-generation Norwegians who are trying to find our roots."

At the Norwegian booth, people munched on Fattigman, flatbread, krumkake, sandbakels and goat cheese, and at others, tried buffalo stew and curries and rice.

Everyone in Roth's family found something to enjoy.

"Brady really likes the fighting, and Addison really likes the School of Mines paleontology dig box, but I really like trying the foods," Roth said.

Something for everyone is what the library tries to provide.

"In any urban center, the library is a hub, a center, where people can come together," Pappas said, "and that is what our goal here is today."