A Novel Night Out with Lynda Rutledge

Join Friends of the Dallas Public Library for an annual tradition that celebrates tremendous contributions to our library system and bestselling authors.

Tickets, tables and sponsorships available at bit.ly/novelnight2023

This year’s event, on Thursday, October 26, 2023, will be held at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library. Our special guest is author Lynda Rutledge, a journalist and photographer for 25 years and now a best-selling author. Her latest novel, West with Giraffes, was inspired by a story she unearthed about a pair of giraffes who survived a hurricane before being trucked cross-country during the Great Depression, turning heads, capturing hearts, and making 500+ headlines along the way.

This year’s evening event will honor David M. Munson, Sr. with the distinguished May Dickson Exall award for his steadfast support of libraries and literacy programs for young children.

The May Dickson Exall Award honors community members for their outstanding contributions to the Dallas Public Library system. May Dickson Exall, a native Texan and extraordinary civic leader, obtained a $50,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie in 1899 to found the Dallas Public Library. In this same spirit, Mr. Munson and his late wife Mona’s generosity and support for libraries enabled the Friends to fund numerous library programs for our youngest patrons. This includes a $200,000 investment in Reading Ready Play Spaces at all full-service Dallas Public Library locations.

Funds raised at this annual event will support programs and services that bring our library to life each and every day, and go above and beyond the library’s operating budget. Programs include summer reading, adult education and workforce development, library staff development opportunities, and vibrant neighborhood gatherings for all ages.

Dallas’ Library System needs friends like you, and your support. Our libraries are lifelines for citizens who don’t have computers or internet access, they are an oasis for kids who want to succeed at school, and they are a crucial resource for people looking for employment.

Join us for a delicious dinner and absorbing evening as we celebrate the Dallas Public Library, one of our city’s most important and accessible institutions. All the sponsorship details are enclosed, and we invite you to call the Friends office with questions or to reserve your table.