The Commerce Public Library will transform into a Roaring Twenties soirée next Thursday, October 16, when the library and its Friends group host the second annual Jazz Age Jubilee Gala from 6 to 8 p.m. at 1210 Park Street in Commerce.
Library Director Ashley Bryan and Friends of the Library member Belinda Miller joined KETR’s Morning Edition to share what attendees can expect and why the fundraiser is vital to the library’s growth.
“Our library is a nonprofit library, which is not super common in Texas,” Bryan said. “We’ve been around since 1967 as a nonprofit public library. We’re housed in a building built in 1918 that served as Commerce’s post office, so it’s a piece of local history.”
Since reopening one year ago after renovations, the library has seen attendance and participation surge. Bryan said program attendance has “doubled or even quadrupled,” with a 125 percent increase in summer reading participation and a 200 percent increase in books checked out.
“We started a teen space, a maker space is on the way, and we’ve added everything from story time to yarn benders,” she said. “The library has really exploded in the past year.”
The gala’s theme will transport guests back to the 1920s with period décor in black and gold, live jazz from musicians David Zvanut and Mark Chapman, and a screening of the Charlie Chaplin silent film The Fireman, accompanied by live improvisational music. Catered food and wine service will round out the evening.
Miller said the goal is to secure more sustaining members whose ongoing support helps the Friends group fund programming and staff salaries.
“The library is owned by the city, but the Friends of the Library are responsible for salaries and programming,” Miller said. “We need funds to keep doing the great things that we’re doing.”
The event will also feature a silent auction with works by local artists, plus unique items from area vendors such as a flower subscription from Thomas Family Farm and even a retired library card catalog.
Funds raised will support technology upgrades, family literacy kits, and building maintenance for the historic structure.
“The library often provides internet access for people who don’t have it at home,” Bryan added. “You can even use Wi-Fi from the park when we’re closed. It meets a real need in our community.”
Miller encouraged the community to take part:
“Don’t be left out. People talked about the gala last year for days afterward. Come celebrate what the library does for everybody—it’s your library.”
Tickets and donations are available at commercepubliclibrary.org (via GiveButter link at the top of the page). The library will share auction updates on its Facebook page, Commerce Public Library.
