By David Dodd, Library Director
The first Trivia Bee fundraiser took place on Leap Year Day in 1992, billed as “Leap for Literacy.” That theme inspired artist Del Lacey to create the first of what would be an incredible series of hand-drawn posters for the event, featuring a daffy-looking frog, leaping for literacy.
This year’s Trivia Bee, number 28 in the series…
…takes place Saturday, February 22 at the Clock Tower, beginning at 6 pm. Dinner, a cake auction, a raffle, a silent auction, a no-host bar, and a competitive and fun trivia bee are on the program.
David Dodd, who is now the Library Director, was on the staff of the Benicia Library as a reference librarian at the time, and he has fond memories of that first Trivia Bee. “Susan Lynn, the Literacy Coordinator, asked me to write the trivia questions,” he says, “which was a fun challenge.” He notes that the tradition of having a reference librarian create the questions continues through the present day, with Youth Services Manager Allison Angell now shouldering the responsibility.
The Trivia Bee has grown into a cherished Benicia tradition over the past 28 years, and has evolved to become a truly participatory celebration of community spirit in support of the Library.
For the past several years, the Trivia Bee has been organized by the Benicia Library Foundation, a dedicated group of residents who have devoted themselves to fundraising for capital needs for the Library. They have, over the years, contributed funds for a variety of improvements to the Library, most recently for comfortable new armchair seating for the reading room.
Currently, they are working to raise funds for improvements to the Library’s unfinished Lower Level, and have pledged to contribute over $250,000 to making it a hospitable, welcoming space which can serve the community in a variety of ways.
It’s easy to participate in the Trivia Bee, and there are several main ways to do so.
You can buy a ticket in advance for $40 (available at the Library) and join in with the folks who sit at your eight-person table to become a competing team. Or, you can organize a team of eight for $345 and have an entire table to yourselves.
Teams are encouraged to get into the spirit of the theme;this year it’s a circus-oriented one. A costume contest will recognize the best individual and team costumes.
For more information, please visit benicialibrary.org/events or call 707.746.4358.
