Alpena County Library plans to announce the recipient of the fourth annual Robert E. Haltiner Distinguished Service Award on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. following a Civil War-related program.

Haltiner, who died in 2012, researched and published 10 books about Alpena and Northeast Michigan, preserving stories and legends for future generations. The library established the award in his name in 2011, and Haltiner was the first recipient.

Marlo Broad, special collections manager at the library, said the award is presented to a person who contributes to the history of Alpena through programs, research and volunteerism. Previous honorees include Robert Kujawa and Lorrie LaCross.

The 2014 honoree will be named after a program to be presented by Marcia Simmons, a Daughter of the Union Veterans of the Civil War and a Civil War researcher. Simmons will explore the Soldiers’ National Cemetery at Gettysburg, which inspired Lincoln as he prepared for his Gettysburg Address.

The cemetery, which was dedicated on Nov. 19, 1863, is the final resting place for more than 3,500 Union soldiers killed in the Battle of Gettysburg, often cited as a turning point for the Union forces in the war. The cemetery is one of 14 national cemeteries managed by the Park Service.

Simmons has written books about Alpena and Alcona County Civil War servicemen, and finds the stories of the era moving and compelling. She is a member of the Northeast Michigan Genealogical Society.

Thursday’s program is free and open to the public.