The sixth annual Book Lover's Ball, held February 10 at the Fairmont Royal York Toronto, is the only fund-raiser of the year for the Toronto Public Library Foundation. This year, the foundation increased the table and ticket prices for the 600 guests and ditched the live auction from years past. As a result, the planners met and exceeded their goal of $450,000, more than double last year's take.

"In our first five years, the event was really successful in terms of raising awareness of the library and increasing support, but we felt like the sixth year was the time to really go big in terms of how much we raised," said Julie Flynn Still, director of development and strategic partnerships at the Toronto Public Library Foundation. Flynn-Still worked with Jeffrey Roick of McNabb Roick to plan the evening.

"[The live auction] just wasn't a big hit with this group; only a few donors would participate," Flynn-Still said. "So we decided to do what we call an 'almost live auction,' which was essentially a silent auction, but with several big-ticket vacation items highlighted." The crowd went for the new concept, with all the trips selling for close to retail value. Another new fund-raising tactic offered guests the chance to "adopt a branch" of the library for $500, for which they would also get a free Sony Reader. Some 50 attendees participated, raising an extra $25,000.

The entertainment portion of the evening also featured some new elements, starting with a red carpet entrance featuring Melanie Ng from City TV quizzing guests to see how much they knew about Toronto Public Library. "Guests loved the red carpet experience," said Flynn-Still. "We had never done that before, and it created a great buzz in the reception that followed."

After a cocktail reception featuring a risotto bar and pasta hors d'oeuvres from chef Marc Thuet, guests enjoyed a seated dinner and novel-inspired fashion show (for example, Italian-Indonesian designs inspired by Eat, Pray, Love).

The evening's theme, "Black and White and Read," influenced the decor, with black and white linens in the dining room. At the center of each table, red tulips were accented by white lighting from underneath, allowing for table lighting without the cost of pinspotting.