Usually eating and dancing to loud music in the library are not allowed, but all those rules go out the door for one night only.

The Brook Library is hosting its third annual gala and silent auction this Saturday. Not only will there be dancing, there will also be a poetry corner, a jazz band, and great refreshments, including bar for anyone over 21.

What’s happening

The gala will feature events on all four floors of the library. Maureen Rust, who works in the library as the student engagement and community outreach librarian, is the co-chair for the gala. A gala planning committee has been meeting since September to organize the event and make sure it runs smoothly.

Molly Allen is the program support supervisor for the library and is in charge of the coffee shop. She is also Rust’s fellow co-chair of the gala.

“My favorite part [of the gala] is the silent action. It’s nice to bring auction items from local businesses into the library so it showcases their business as well for people who may not have seen it before,” Allen said.

According to Allen, the third floor of the library will have an art gallery made up of student and staff work. There will also be a display of items that the library has purchased because of the money the gala has raised the past two years and feature the event poetry corner.

In the stacks on the fourth floor of the library is where the dancing will be going on. Central’s Swing Cats group will be teaching swing dancing and the Ellensburg Big Band will be playing.

“It’s not every day that you get to dance in a library so I think there is a little bit of excitement that comes with that,” Allen said.

Purpose of the gala

Many people don’t know that the Brooks Library is open to everyone; there is no need to be affiliated with Central at all. Some libraries on other campuses are strictly for that college’s use and are not open to the general public. The gala brings students, staff and community members together in one place.

“The intention of the gala is really to get people both on and off campus into the library just to know more about it. Having events going on all four floors encourages people to explore,” Rust said.

People get to know each area by having events on all four floors, Allen said. It shows off the whole library and not just one specific area.

Students and the Gala

There is a lot of student involvement with the gala. The Apollo string quartet, made up of Central musicians, will play on the first floor greeting guests. Other music students will be playing as a jazz band in the fishbowl. Even the poetry corner and art gallery showcases student involvement.

“I think [the gala] let’s students see the library in a different light that they normally don’t see it in,” Allen said.