TCCL News & Events

Award-winning journalist and internationally renowned author Geraldine Brooks is the winner of the Tulsa Library Trust’s 2009 Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award.

Brooks, a former Wall Street Journal reporter and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “March” and best-selling “People of the Book,” will receive the prestigious Helmerich award on Dec. 4 at a black-tie dinner and will give a free public presentation at 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 5 at Central Library, Fourth Street and Denver Avenue.

At the public presentation, Brooks will speak about her life and works, answer questions from the audience and sign books. Copies of her books will be available for purchasing at the event.

Other works by Brooks include two nonfiction books, “Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women” and “Foreign Correspondence: A Pen Pal’s Journey From Down Under to All Over,” plus her first novel, “Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague,” which was an international best-seller.

To prepare the community for Brooks’ visit to Tulsa, the Friends of the Tulsa City-County Libraries group is offering a review of Brooks’ works as a part of its popular Books Sandwiched In series from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. on Nov. 30 at Central Library in Aaronson Auditorium. Donna Farrior, a member of the Distinguished Author Selection Committee, will present “A Geraldine Brooks Sampler.”

Also, an exhibit showcasing Brooks’ life and writings will be on display through Dec. 6 on the second floor of Central Library.

The Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award consists of a $40,000 cash prize and an engraved crystal book. The award originated in 1985. Previous award winners are Michael Chabon, Thomas Keneally, Mark Helprin, John Grisham, Shelby Foote, Joyce Carol Oates, William Kennedy, William Manchester, Margaret Atwood, E.L. Doctorow, Dr. John Hope Franklin, Neil Simon, David McCullough, Ray Bradbury, Peter Matthiessen, Norman Mailer, Eudora Welty, John le Carré, Saul Bellow, Toni Morrison, John Updike, Larry McMurtry and Norman Cousins.

For more information about the Helmerich Award, visit www.helmerichaward.org or call 596-7977.

It’s never too early to start planning how to finance your child’s college education or too late to pursue a college education yourself. Learn how to prepare for college at Tulsa City-County Library’s “College Financial Aid: Fund Your Future” program.

Sponsored by TCCL’s Research Center, the free program is from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 12 at Central Library, Fourth Street and Denver Avenue, in Aaronson Auditorium. Speakers are Brad Burnham, college and career counselor, Union High School; Lindsey Tackett, financial aid counselor, Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, OSU; and Jessica Reed, Plan4College Center coordinator, Martin Regional Library.

Participants will learn about financial aid options and the library’s Plan4College centers, which are located at the Martin and Rudisill regional libraries. A project with Oklahoma GEAR UP, the centers provide families and students with a one-stop shop for all their college info needs. Each center features a knowledgeable coordinator, computers and handouts that can get anyone started on a great plan for college.

The “College Financial Aid” program also includes information about library resources to help plan for a college education. Ellen Cummings, Research Center manager, recommends the following titles:

• “1001 Ways to Pay for College” by Gen and Kelly Tanabe – Balancing detailed explanations with real-life examples and practical resources, this guide reveals a multitude of ways to finance higher education.
• “Financial Aid for the Utterly Confused” by Anthony J. Bellia – Written by a top financial aid pro with 30 years of experience, this guide walks you through the entire process of obtaining the maximum amount of financial aid to which you may be entitled.
• “Paying for College Without Sacrificing Your Retirement” by Tim Higgins – This guide shows how to maximize your resources, evaluate colleges and financial aid opportunities, avoid crushing student debt, make the tax system work for you and save for retirement.
• “501 Ways for Adult Students to Pay for College” by Gen and Kelly Tanabe – This book examines the issues and challenges unique to adults who want to go back to school despite the pressing responsibilities of families, work and mortgages.

For more information about the “College Financial Aid” program or library resources, call Tulsa City-County Library’s AskUs Hotline at 596-7977 or visit www.tulsalibrary.org.