photo by: Contributed/KU Communications

KU's Murphy Hall, 1530 Naismith Dr., which houses the Gorton Music and Dance Library. The library will host a series of events in February celebrating 25 years of operations.

The University of Kansas’ Gorton Music and Dance Library will be hosting parties and concerts in February to celebrate 25 years of operations on campus.

KU announced in a news release Friday that the library inside Murphy Hall at 1530 Naismith Drive will hold multiple free events from Feb. 12 through Feb. 18 to honor a “quarter century of partnership as a pivotal university resource.” The library was completed in 2000 as part of a $9.8 million addition to Murphy Hall, and it contains more than 100,000 scores, books, sound recordings, videos, microforms and serials, according to the release.

First up is an anniversary celebration from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12, with performances from the Cornerstone String Quartet, refreshments and “remarks on the library’s noteworthy past and bright future,” according to the event page on KU’s website. Although the event is free, attendees are asked to register in advance.

Then, from noon to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 13, 17 and 18, the library will host “Brown Bag Concerts” where visitors can enjoy live performances from students, faculty and staff.

To finish the celebrations, the library will host a student party from 2 to 4 p.m. Feb. 18. Students are invited to stop by the library for pizza, music and crafts.

Colin Roust, an associate dean for academic affairs and professor of musicology in the KU School of Music, said in the release that the library is such a “useful part of our school” and has helped music students at KU access scores and other things they need for their education.

“It’s such an important resource,” Roust said.