The Library Lion honorees are those "whose accomplishments enrich our lives with beauty and knowledge, and whose work is inspired by, and represented in, the Library's collections," the Library states.

The annual benefit supports the New York Public Library's General Book Fund, allowing the institution to acquire the books and materials needed to keep the collections current for the 25 divisions of its four research centers, including the Humanities and Social Sciences Library; the Library for the Performing Arts; the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture; and the Science, Industry and Business Library.

Jennifer Ehle, who won a Tony for her work in Stoppard's The Coast of Utopia at Lincoln Center this past season, will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the Nov. 5 evening, which will feature a cocktail reception at 7 PM in Astor Hall; an 8 PM program honoring Stoppard, Scorsese, Franklin and Lahiri; and a dance party sponsored by the Library's Young Lions at 9 PM.

Past Library Lion honorees include Oprah Winfrey, Elie Wiesel, Susan Stroman, George C. Wolfe, Gao Xingjian, James D. Watson, Julie Taymor, Jerome Robbins, Orhan Pamuk, Billy Taylor, Mike Nichols, Audra McDonald, Shirley Hazzard, Thomas L. Friedman, Harold Bloom, James Conlon, Renee Fleming, David Remnick and Brooke Russell Astor.

For ticket information call (212) 930-0922 or visit www.nypl.org.