Peter Sagal, host of National Public Radio’s “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!”, will be speaking at NIU to help commemorate The Friends of the NIU Libraries 25th Anniversary.

“This event is very important to the Friends of the Library organization, and to NIU as well,” said Drew Vandecreek, president of Friends of the NIU Libraries. “The library will always serve the campus community, in that it provides them with books, periodicals, and online academic materials, but the library and the university also try to reach out to the more general public,” he added.

The event will be held on Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center, 231 N. Annie Glidden Road. Along with Sagal speaking, a cash bar, hors d’oeuvres and a book signing by Sagal will also take place, according to a news release.

“Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!,” the NPR show in which Sagal and a crew of panelists discuss current events, attracts 2.5 million listeners and can be heard locally on WNIJ, FM 89.5.

“[He] commands a large audience of listeners in this general public, as well as those who may work at NIU and other universities,” VandeCreek said.

The radio host was chosen to speak after The Friends weighed a number of potential guests and chose Sagal based on his “demonstrated popularity via his radio show.” Sagal will perform to a crowd of over 100 people, with the performance focusing on a mixture of humor, with insight and commentary.

Sagal’s fee for speaking is $8,000, according to The Friend’s finance report.

“We certainly hope that members of the NIU community will attend,” VandeCreek said. “More importantly, we would like this event to remind members of the more general public what the library and the larger university can offer them.”

Tickets to the event cost $25 and can be purchased by calling Angie Schroeder at 815-753-8091.