The Friends of the UT Arlington Library strive to foster community awareness, support and enrichment of the resources and services of The UT Arlington Library and provide a forum for sharing interest and enthusiasm for the world of letters. The Friends of the UT Arlington Library, an organization chartered in 1987, offers community support in the Libraries' drive toward excellence.

The Friends meet several times during the year and host programs of interest to the community at large. These programs are generally free and open to the public. For questions about meetings or to RSVP, please contact Betty Wood at (817) 272-7421 or bwood@uta.edu.

Find out more about joining the Friends of the UT Arlington Library.

Christopher Kelley
Friday, April 25, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.
Central Library Sixth Floor Parlor

On Friday, April 25, at 7:30 p.m. on the 6th floor of the Central Library, the Friends of the UT Arlington Library will host a presentation by film critic for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Christopher Kelly. Kelly is also a writer at large for Texas Monthly, where he writes the "Hollywood, TX" column. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and his work has appeared in Slate, The Chicago Tribune, Salon, Film Comment, Premiere, and numerous other publications.

Kelly will speak to the Friends about his first novel titled A Push and a Shove. His talk is entitled "A First Novel’s Journey: Christopher Kelly on Writing and Publishing A Push and a Shove." Copies of his book will be available for purchase at the program.

A reception will follow the program. The Friends’ meeting is open to the public at no charge. For questions or to RSVP, contact Betty Wood at 817-272-7421 or bwood@uta.edu. Please do so by April 24.

Dr. Kenneth E. Hendrickson, III
Friday, February 8, 2008 at 7:30 p.m.
Central Library Sixth Floor Parlor

On Friday, February 8, at 7:30 p.m. on the 6th floor of the Central Library, the Friends of the UT Arlington Library will host a presentation by Dr. Kenneth E. Hendrickson, III.  Dr. Hendrickson is an Associate Professor of History at Sam Houston State University, where he has taught since 1993.  He received his B.A. and M.A. in History from Texas A&M University and his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa.  He is one of the leading authorities on Charles Darwin, his work, and the reaction his work has sparked.  Dr. Hendrickson will be speaking about "The Darwinian Dilemma: The Origins of a Crisis."

A reception will follow the program. The Friends' meeting is open to the public at no charge.  For questions or to RSVP, contact Betty Wood at 817-272-7421 or bwood@uta.edu.  Please do so by February 7, 2008.

Elizabeth Crook, award-winning novelist and author
Friday, November 9, 2007 at 7:30 p.m
Central Library Sixth Floor Parlor.

Crook's presentation for the Friends is titled "Writing The Night Journal: The Ragged Road to Publication."

Crook's third novel, The Night Journal, tells the story of four generations of women in the U. S. Southwest, blending history with contemporary life. Copies of the book will be sold after her presentation, and Crook will be available for autographs.

The Friends will also be presenting the Friends McNair Scholarship Awards to two UT Arlington undergraduate students for their outstanding research in the McNair Program. The McNair Program assists promising students from low income/first generation or underrepresented backgrounds to enter graduate school to ultimately pursue a doctorate.

The students receiving the Friends McNair Award are Omid Zaré-Mehrjerdi, who worked with UT Arlington professor Dr. Ellen Pritham on "Horizontal Transfer of Genetic Material: The Transposable Element Content of Viruses" and Yonathan Tafesse, who, under the guidance of professor Dr. Perry Fuchs, researched "The Effect of Lesions to the Insular Cortex on Fear, Anxiety and Pain Processing." Both students will receive a $500 award and a special plaque.

A reception will follow the program. The Friends' meeting is open to the public at no charge. For questions or to RSVP, contact Betty Wood at 817-272-7421 or bwood@uta.edu. Please do so by November 8.

Jim Gatewood, author and historian: J. Frank Norris-Top O’Hill Casino-Lew Jenkins and the Texas Oil Rich and Vickie Bryant, local historian, preservationist
Two day event-Friday, September 14 and Saturday, September 15, 2007

Friday, September 14, 2007 at 7:30pm
Central Library Sixth Floor Parlor

Jim Gatewood, author and historian, will talk about his book J. Frank Norris-Top O’Hill Casino-Lew Jenkins and the Texas Oil Rich. His presentation will include stories about the infamous Top O’Hill Terrace that was on the property now occupied by Arlington Baptist College located at 3001 West Division Street in Arlington, Texas. Top O’Hill was the most opulent casino for the rich, adventurous, mischievous, and famous in the U. S. before the development of Las Vegas. The casino was designed to protect its guests from the prying eyes of law enforcement. The Friends will host a reception following Gatewood’s presentation where autographed copies of his book will be sold.

Saturday, September 15, 2007 at 2:00 p.m.

Vickie Bryant, local historian, preservationist, and wife of the president of Arlington Baptist College, will talk about the Top O’Hill Terrace and conduct a tour of the grounds, including the area where the casino was hidden in a large underground room. The room at that time was equipped with dice tables, roulette wheels, blackjack tables, and slot machines before a raid by the Texas Rangers in 1947 closed it down.

The Friends’ meeting is open to the public at no charge. For questions or to RSVP contact Betty Wood at 817-272-7421 or bwood@uta.edu.