Photos: Lawrence Public Library holds groovy celebration to honor volunteers

Around 160 people, all dressed in their best ‘70s attire, attended the Lawrence Public Library’s “Book of Love: A Very 70s Prom” Friday night at Venue 1235.

The event was in celebration of 50 years of the LPL Friends and Foundation, which provides the library with about $100,000 annually for programming such as the Summer Reading program, Read Across Lawrence, Dottie Outreach Service and more. 

A group of Lawrencians started Friends in 1972. Read more about the volunteers and the group’s history at this link.

Polli Kenn, 50, is the Lawrence Public Library’s readers services coordinator. She opened the event, thanking everyone for coming and giving a rundown of the evening.

“When we were planning this year’s Booktoberfest, we realized it was the 50-year anniversary of the Friends and Foundation. We thought we could celebrate that milestone in addition to wrapping up Booktoberfest,” Kenn said before the event began.

Christina, a reader services librarian, and Chris De La Cruz, who works in insurance, pose as prom queen and king. The 31-year-olds beamed as they stepped away from the photo wall.

“We’re reliving our high school glory days,” Christina said with a laugh.

Margaret and Jerry Edison, both 63, were the very first people to hit the dance floor. Jerry is a bank database administrator, and Margaret is a retired social worker. The two danced all throughout the night.

Joy Johnson, a 39-year-old registered nurse, spun around the dance floor with a fake cigarette and full hippie dress.

Chloe Anderson (she/her) contributed to The Lawrence Times from August 2022 through May 2023. She is also published in Climbing magazine, Kansas Reflector and Sharp End Publishing. As a recent graduate of the University of Kansas, Chloe plans to continue her career in photography, rock climbing and writing somewhere out West.

You can view her portfolio, articles and commissioned work here. Check out more of her work for the Times here.