The solar eclipse was the main event Monday, with day turning to dusk as the moon slid between the earth and the sun in a rare astronomical event which will not be visible from the United States again until 2044.

Thousands of people in Rhode Island donned protective eyewear or made homemade viewers to witness the phenomenon – stopping midday to peer skyward from porches, backyards, or large celebratory gatherings. In Cranston, Warwick, and West Warwick, local libraries took the lead in prepping people for the historical occurrence by handing out eclipse glasses, providing educational programs months in advance, and in some cases, hosting festive viewing parties.

An estimated 1,300 people filled the lawns outside the William Hall Library in Cranston and the West Warwick Public library for festive communal viewing. In Rhode Island, the moon covered about 90-percent of the sun at the peak of the eclipse and lasted nearly two hours from start to finish.

“For years, libraries have been so much more than books,” said Martha Boksenbaum, Youth Services Librarian at William Hall. “They are truly community hubs where people have access to knowledge, programs, experiences, and each other. We are so excited to be hosting a viewing party here today.”

By the time the moon had slid out of the sun’s path and daylight was fully restored shortly after 4:30 pm, more than 600 people had spread out on the William Hall lawn on Broad Street.

Ryan Cooper, age 6, was eager to explain all she knew about eclipses, having studied the astronomical details in her first-grade class at Stadium Elementary School in Cranston. “The moon gets between the earth and the sun,” she said, trying to make sure her cardboard safety eclipse glasses stayed in place. “And you can’t look at it or you will go blind.”

Getting the eclipse glasses turned out to be no easy feat, even though libraries throughout the state distributed thousands of pairs for free days before the event. Almost all ran out, as did many local stores which posted signs advising patrons that they would have to look elsewhere. Even libraries such as William Hall and West Warwick, which saved glasses for people participating in their viewing events, found that the demand far outweighed the supply and relied on people to share with each other.

“We are completely out,” Ellen O’Brien, Deputy Director of the Warwick Public Library said a couple of days before the eclipse. The library began helping the public prepare for the celestial show by scheduling special programs over the winter which included reading challenges, models, trivia and educational talks about the myths and cultural practices that have surrounded eclipses throughout history.

“Out of This World,” was the theme of the viewing party outside the West Warwick Public Library on Main Street. About 700 people attended, and the library arranged for food truck cuisine, a balloon animal creator, and sing-along entertainment by Steve Johnson, a local teacher and musician. All the librarians there were decked out in celestial-themed attire and said they were thrilled not only with participants’ enthusiasm, but their generosity. People had been asked to make donations to a local food pantry and their contributions filled the library’s board room.

“It’s all been fun,” said Rasha Al-Sasah, Head of Youth Services, “but in the end, it was the eclipse that was the big shebang.”