The black-tie affair will be held Nov. 3 at the Humanities and Social Sciences Library, located at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan. In addition to Albee, the evening will also pay tribute to children's author and illustrator Ashley Bryan, screenwriter and essayist Nora Ephron and novelist Salman Rushdie.

Nobel Laureate and library trustee Toni Morrison will be the Master of Ceremonies for Library Lions, which begins with cocktails at 7 PM in Astor Hall, followed by dinner and the evening's program at 8 PM in the Rose Main Reading Room with dancing, dessert and drinks at 9 PM in the Celeste Bartos Forum.

In a statement library president Paul LeClerc said, "The individuals we are honoring this year embody the highest level of accomplishment in their respective fields. Their achievements encompass a variety of rich forms of creative expression that the Library preserves and makes accessible in its collections. We are proud to recognize them as Library Lions for their groundbreaking artistry and for their noble commitment to a life of ideas, inventiveness, exploration, and thought."

Catherine C. Marron, chairman of the library, added, "The Library Lions benefit is our most important fundraiser of the year. With the help of a group of dedicated co-chairs we are able to highlight the accomplishments of the Library and generate crucial support for our collections and operations."

Proceeds will support the Library's General Book Fund. For ticket information call (212) 930-0671.