Events

When two forces of Lawrence culture collide, what happens?
An ambitious mural for a busy library!

On Friday evening, April 30th, the Lawrence Public Library Foundation and Van Go, Inc. unveiled a new mural for the library’s auditorium.  Twenty-one teen artists from Van Go have spent this spring creating the project, consisting of seven 3-D panels of painting and collage.  

Funding for the mural was made possible by generous gifts from the Ross and Marianna Beach Foundation, Joan and Web Golden, Reed and Stacey Dillon, the US Bank Foundation and the Lawrence Public Library Foundation.

Next time you visit the library, check out this incredible work of public art.  It is truly spectacular!

Let’s Talk Baseball!
"After Hours at the Library" Celebrates Bill James

Baseball fans descended on the Lawrence Public Library on Sunday evening, April 25th for the second annual "After Hours at the Library" spring fundraiser.  The purpose of the event was to honor a local Lawrence citizen while raising funds for the library.

This year, the Foundation honored Bill James, a 30-year Lawrence resident who is the nation's best known baseball historian and analyst.  James, who currently serves as the Senior Advisor on Baseball Operations for the Boston Red Sox, has been called "the complete outsider who changed baseball."

James was interviewed by Chuck Woodling, the Lawrence Journal World’s long-time sports editor, who has written about sports for 46 years.  The two covered a lot of ground in their conversation, ranging from Bill’s early years working at the Stokely Van Camps pork and bean factory to his views on steroid usage among baseball players.

Special thanks goes to the event’s sponsors:  Dale Willey Automotive, KU Credit Union, Boston Red Sox,, Altrusa International, Jayhawk Trophy, First Construction, Intrust Bank, Tim and Judy Keller, Kim and Mike Rack, Wagner Kressig and Wyre.

Book Club Night at the Library 

Despite snowy weather, a dedicated group of Lawrence book club members traveled to the library for its first ever Book Club Night. It was a fun-filled evening of exchanging ideas and reading lists with other Lawrence book club members, learning about the library’s book club services, and drawings for lots of prizes. 
 
Highlighting the evening was a conversation with Laura Moriarty, author of While I’m Falling, and Lucia Orth, author of Baby Jesus Pawnshop. These two Lawrence authors have become popular fixtures on the book club circuit. They discussed their new books and provided an entertaining glimpse into their lives as writers.
 
Special thanks goes to to J&S Coffee, the Eldridge Hotel, Bittersweet Floral, and the Raven Bookstore for donating fabulous prizes!
 

For more information, contact Kathleen Morgan at kmorgan@lawrence.lib.ks.us.