Local public libraries are collecting gently used and new prom attire to contribute to a free pop-up shop at the Maywood Public Library in April.
The effort helps make prom clothes, plus accessories like ties, shoes, jewelry and purses, affordable for teenagers.
“Prom is such a big event for high schoolers,” said Martha Sullivan, the young adult services manager at the Forest Park Public Library. “Kids want to look nice, and a lot of formal wear is kind of outlandishly priced. We wanted to make it accessible for people to look and feel special for this event.”
Nicola Covello, the young adult librarian at Hillside Public Library, volunteered at her high school’s annual prom pop-up when she lived in her small hometown three hours away from Hillside.
“It was something that was needed in my small community,” Covello said about her hometown of 600 people. “A lot of people were working class, so it made a big difference.”
But prom pop-ups also help give clothes new life, keeping them out of landfills, or unused on a hanger.
“Items weren’t sitting in everyone’s closets forever either,” Covello said. “It was a nice upcycling event when we didn’t have a lot of options for that.” She added, “We had one Goodwill about 30 minutes away, and rarely were you able to find formal wear.”
“A lot of formal wear, especially when you’re a teenager, only gets used once,” Sullivan said, but the prom pop-up aims to change that.
A few years before the pandemic, the Forest Park Public Library offered a prom pop-up shop, but that was before Sullivan, who started in her position last June. In an effort to introduce herself to other local library staff, and discuss how to better serve School District 209, Sullivan organized a meeting with Proviso Township’s young adult librarians in January.
The idea for the prom pop-up came out of the meeting and is the first collaboration between Forest Park Public Library, Hillside Public Library, Maywood Library, Northlake Public Library District and Westchester Public Library.
Covello organized a similar event last year. But while a few people called the library asking what kind of donations they were looking for, no one brought any in, and the event was canceled.
“We didn’t have interest gathered until after the event had passed,” Covello said. A few weeks later, some teachers reached out to Covello inquiring about the pop-up. Covello chalks this up to a lack of publicity and less traffic in the libraries post-pandemic.
The young adult librarians thought an event like this would be more successful if they could pool their efforts, separately collecting donations that would be offered at one location.
Those donating gently used prom attire can drop off clothes and accessories at library front desks. They will be brought to the Maywood Public Library, 121 South 5th Avenue, for a pop-up shop April 6 from 2 to 4 p.m.
All items will be free at the pop-up shop and organized by size and accessory type. Donations will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. While the pop-up targets high schoolers in District 209, any teenager who plans to attend prom is welcome.
Covello said attendees will be able to try on attire either in the public restrooms or in a privately designated area to make sure what they pick out is comfortable and fits right. If there are clothes that aren’t taken home, the library that donated them will bring them back to distribute to those who couldn’t attend the event.
High schoolers who want to volunteer for the pop-up shop by creating flyers, collecting donations at their schools or helping during the event, should contact the young adult librarian at the closest participating public library.