The 25th Annual Iowa Author Awards Dinner proved to be one for the books. Held on Thursday, October 9, at the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates—the beautifully restored former home of the downtown library—the event brought together 192 guests to celebrate Iowa’s literary talent and support the Des Moines Public Library system. Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack and First Lady Christie Vilsack served as hosts and honorary co-chairs. Guests enjoyed an elegant dinner, live music, and inspiring remarks from this year’s honorees, whose works reflect the diversity and creativity of Iowa’s literary landscape. The recognized authors were Kaveh Akbar, Vince Gotera, Kali White VanBaale, John Domini (posthumously), as well as recently retired DMPL director Susan Amend Woody, who received the Friend of Literacy Award. The program began with Kid Librarians reading the Library Bill of Rights, written by former DMPL director Forrest Spaulding and adopted by the American Library Association in 1939. A photo album is available on our Facebook page. All told, this year’s Iowa Author Awards Dinner netted nearly $40,000 to benefit library programs and initiatives across the city. This represents about 15% of the support DMPL relies upon annually from the Des Moines Public Library Foundation. If you missed the event or otherwise would like to offer your financial support for the library system, please visit our giving page.