This Saturday, South Dallas high school students can do more than check out a book from the Martin Luther King Jr. Branch Library. From 1 to 4 p.m. teens can also get a free prom dress at the branch library, located at 2922 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.  

Nearly 100 gowns in various sizes and styles will be available from the library’s Fairy Tale Closet, as well as a small selection of shoes and accessories. Makeup artists will be also be on hand to give advice for the big night. Teens who want to pick out a free dress should register by calling the MLK Jr. Branch at (214) 670-0344.

The library has been collecting previously-worn formal wear for several months from women throughout the city who raided their closets for a good cause. St. Luke Community United Methodist Church also had a large collection of prom and quinceañera dresses it collected for years and saw the library's Fairy Tale Closet as an opportunity to distribute them.

“Prom is a much-anticipated event in a student’s high school experience, but it is also an expensive one, especially for families struggling to make ends meet,” Library Youth Services Administrator Melissa Dease said. “A dress can be an enormous expense, and the Dallas Public Library wanted to make it a little easier for the teens in the community to have a fairy tale night.”

The Dallas Public Library operates the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 28 branch locations, and two bookmobiles. A library card is free for any Dallas resident. For information on the many free programs and services available at the Dallas Public Library visit www.dallaslibrary.org. 

Information provided by City of Dallas.