This past Monday evening, November 7th, The New York Public Library hosted its annual Library Lions Gala at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building to raise critical funds to support the Library’s mission to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge, and strengthen communities.
The Library Lions Gala raises critical funds to support its 92 neighborhood locations, as well as educational programming, and the vast research collections used by scholars, writers, artists and students every day. Support of this event ensures that the Library’s collections, programs, and services remain freely available.
This year’s honorees were artist Laurie Anderson, scholar Mary Beard, journalist Charles M. Blow, playwright Lynn Nottage, and economist Amartya Sen.
More than 450 attendees followed a piece-piece orchestra upstairs to gather in The Rose Main Reading Room for dinner and the program. The Library’s Board of Trustees Chairman, Evan Chesler welcomed the guests and then introduced Tony Marx, President of The New York Public Library.
Senator Charles Schumer recounted some of his own experiences using libraries as a child growing up in Brooklyn. He then introduced New York City Mayor Eric Adams who presented to Tony Marx a proclamation naming Monday (November 7, 2022) The New York Public Library Day in the City of New York.
This was followed by a short film highlighting each of this year’s Library Lions. They then were each bestowed their medals to the applause from the guests attending. The evening ended with the Young Lions afterparty in Astor Hall where dessert and cocktails were served alongside dancing to DJ Color Love.
This year’s Hosts included Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos and Adam Bartos, Howard and Eleanor Morgan and Mr. James S. Tisch and The Honorable Merryl H. Tisch. The evening’s Co-Chairs included Abby and Howard Milstein, Katharine Rayner, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Schwarzman, and Nanar and Tony Yoseloff.
Guests included Mr. James S. Tisch and Mr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Schwarzman, Nanar and Tony Yoseloff (Co Chairs), Katharine J. Rayner, Abby and Howard Milstein, Renata Adler, Steven Aronson, Roy Blount, Joan Hardy Clark, Gordon Davis, George Farias, Barbara Fleischman, Paul Goldberger, Thelma Golden, Annette Gordon-Reed, Susan Gutfreund, Alexander Hankin, Kim Heirston, Hubert Joly, Nicholas Lemann, David Leverin Lewis, Jennifer Morrison, Orhan Pamuk, Deborah Roberts,Allison Rockefeller, Lauren Santo Domingo, Gay Talese, and Stefano Tonchi.
