A Library Had To Tell Disappointed Teens That Their Anti-Prom Event Will Have No "Snakes" — Just Snacks. There Was A Typo.

"There was a typo in a local paper that said we will have snakes. We will have snacks. Snacks is what we will have," the Pflugerville Public Library told community members.

The Pflugerville Public Library in Pflugerville, Texas, had to issue a formal correction and notice to its community after receiving messages from high schoolers inquiring if they were, in fact, going to have snakes at an upcoming anti-prom event.

The library told BuzzFeed News on Wednesday they were made aware of the typo after several librarians and staff members brought in a copy of the local newspaper that ran a blurb about the anti-prom, which is usually staged by high schoolers as a form of protest or an alternative to a traditional prom.

"There will be a DJ, snakes and a photo booth," the blurb in the Community Impact newspaper read.

"At first I just thought, 'Oh, they mean snacks,'" Rose Cobb, 33, the library's marketing specialist, told BuzzFeed News. "I really didn’t think too much of it."

However, after copies of the community newspaper circulated around town, she returned to her desk to a handful of messages and emails "asking if we were really going to have snakes," she said.

"I know it sounds weird — we are kind of forward thinking with our programming, so I figured that this one mistake might actually cause some real confusion in our community," Cobb said.

The library had recently hosted an animal showcase that did feature snakes, she added.

Cobb felt that she had to officially clarify that the upcoming anti-prom event for teens in the local area will, unfortunately, not include any reptiles.

"ATTENTION - there will be no snakes at this Friday's Anti Prom at the library. There was a typo in a local paper that said we will have snakes," the library said in a Facebook post on Monday.

"We will have snacks. Snacks is what we will have," the post said.

The hilarious correction post has since gone viral on social media.

Cobb and other employees at the public library are amused by the internet, and also baffled that this correction had to be made in the first place. But they're hoping to focus all the attention back to the original event that they feel passionately about.

The anti-prom celebration was pitched to the library by their Teen Advisory Group, a committee of high schoolers who brainstorm various ideas to engage young people in their community.

"The idea is to create a safe inclusive space without the pressures of a traditional prom," Cobb said. “Anti Prom is a safe space for you to dance — or not — the night away, no matter your sexuality, gender identity, beliefs, or any other reason."

The event, which will be hosted at the Pflugerville Library on Friday, has a "Fairy Tales" theme, so guests can come in with costumes, formal prom wear, "or just go casual," she said.

The library's director, Jennifer Coffey, told BuzzFeed News that the random error and social media attention have been beneficial to "draw attention to all of the things libraries do, dispel stereotypes about libraries, and make people laugh," she said.

But remember: There will be no snakes. Only snacks. But snacks, if chosen carefully and correctly, are just as metal.

Skip to footer