Thank you to the nearly 500 bibliophiles who came together at the Booklovers Ball, presented by GH Phipps, on Oct. 8 at the Denver Art Museum! The ball is the Denver Public Library Friends Foundation’s signature black-tie event, and this year marked its 25th anniversary. Over the last six years, the Booklovers Ball has raised approximately $2 million to support Denver Public Library.
Speakers included Denver City Librarian Michelle Jeske and Friends Foundation Executive Director Jeff Riley. The Honorable Wellington E. Webb and the Honorable Wilma J. Webb served as honorary chairs, and Simone D. Ross was emcee.
“Twenty-five years is a long time!” Jeske told guests during her remarks. “I’ve been here 21 of those 25 years, so I’ve seen a lot and experienced many wonderful moments, including welcoming many new staff, honoring and celebrating hundreds of years of staff service, opening new libraries, renovating others, launching new services, and meeting thousands of happy library customers.”
The event occurred as Denver voters consider Initiative 2I to increase funding for the library system.
“This Denver ballot initiative would create a dedicated revenue source for the library through a modest property tax increase. With that additional funding, the library could increase pay for staff, extend library hours, add to and diversify collections, and expand access to technology and programs for children, older adults, immigrants and refugees, and job seekers,” Riley said.
The Booklovers Ball also included two performances by Denver Art Museum Creative-in-Residence Kerrie Joy, a paddle-raiser, and an after-party with a DJ, desserts, and cocktails.
A special thank you to our sponsors: Presenting Sponsor GH Phipps; Bibliophile Sponsors Greenberg Traurig, Interlock Construction Corp., and Studiotrope Design Collective; and Aficionado Program Sponsors Bernstein Private Wealth Management, Amazon, and the Honorable Wellington E. Webb and the Honorable Wilma J. Webb. For a full list of sponsors, visit dplfriends.org/news-events/booklovers-ball.
The 2023 Booklovers Ball will be held Oct. 14, 2023, at Wings Over the Rockies in Denver.