Sarah Palin will visit Norman next month for a book signing at Hastings.

"She wanted to come into smaller towns," Hastings store manager Rob Wood said, adding that Norman will be Palin's only Oklahoma stop on her book tour.

The former vice presidential hopeful and governor of Alaska will sign copies of her memoir, "Going Rogue: An American Life," which hits shelves Tuesday. The event will be 7 p.m. Dec. 3 at Hastings Books, 2300 W. Main St.

Wood said they've had famous authors sign books at the Norman store before, but nothing on this level of national fame.

"This is definitely our biggest we've ever had," he said.

Palin is not going to give an address, but will sign books and talk to those getting their books signed, Wood said.

"Basically how it's working is they have to purchase their book from the store," he said. Customers can buy their books from Hastings in advance and bring them to be signed as long as they bring their Hastings receipt. Wood said he expects many people to purchase more than one book to have Palin sign and then send to family members.

"It's going to be a massive event," he said. Crowd control measures will be in place, he said, but as this was recently finalized he didn't know yet exactly what those would be.

"There's obviously gonna be people protesting, there's gonna be people against and for her," Wood said.

Norman resident Mark Campbell said he was thrilled to find out Palin would make a stop in Norman.

"I'm tickled that she's coming," he said. "And Hastings has a wonderful magazine selection for her to choose from," he added in reference to Palin's Katie Couric interview.

Campbell said he plans to attend the book signing.

"I really hadn't planned on buying her book, but I'm definitely gonna buy it and have her sign it," he said.

Julianna Parker Jones 366-3541 jparker@normantranscript.com