.: Upcoming Events
The Smithsonian Institution Libraries (SIL) is pleased to invite you to our 40th anniversary celebration! All are welcome to attend our Paint the Town REaD! Ruby Gala, to be held on October 30, 2008 at The Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture in Washington, D.C. (located at 8th and F Streets in Washington, D.C., at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery.)
Our 40th anniversary event will take place at 8 p.m. in the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard, which features an exquisite curved glass canopy ceiling. Live music, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and an open bar are provided. In addition, best selling author and special guest David Baldacci will be present throughout the evening. You may also participate in a silent auction during the event, to win exclusive items such as behind-the-scenes tours of museums and local attractions and tickets to events such as “The Colbert Report.”
Our event commemorates the inception of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries by Secretary S. Dillon Ripley in 1968. Since this time, SIL has expanded to house over 1.5 million volumes, including 40,000 rare books. Our librarians and collections can be found in 20 libraries in renowned museums and facilities, such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Gallery, the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Postal Museum, and the National Museum of the American Indian. SIL serves a worldwide community of people from diverse disciplines and areas of study, including scholars, fellows, and interns; book and artifact collectors in a wide array of subjects; corporate and legal researchers; government agencies; university faculties and students; historic preservationists; and the interested general public. SIL is truly a multi-faceted and dynamic center for research.
Proceeds from the Ruby Gala will provide funds for an endowment to support acquisitions for the art libraries. The Smithsonian Institution Libraries is a U.S. tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)3 of the IRS Code. Gifts to the Smithsonian Institution Libraries are tax-deductible minus the cost of goods and services provided.
For more information on our Ruby Gala, or to purchase general public and VIP tickets, please visit the Paint the Town REaD! Web site, www.paintthetownread.com. To learn more about David Baldacci, visit www.davidbaldacci.com.