December 15, 1998
Contact:
Press Contact: Craig D'Ooge (202) 707-9189
Utah Center for the Book Approved
The Library of Congress has approved a proposal for a
Utah Center for the Book that will be affiliated with the
Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. It will be
located at the Salt Lake City Public Library, where Library
Director Nancy Tessman will serve as Interim Coordinator.
The purpose of the Utah Center for the Book will be "to
celebrate, honor and promote interest in books, reading,
and the literary and book arts culture and heritage of
Utah and the West."
"We're delighted to welcome Utah to our growing network
of affiliated state centers," said John Y. Cole, Director of
the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. "Each
state center brings a new dimension to our work and helps
us reach new audiences at the grassroots level."
"Utah has a rich literary tradition and a growing
interest in the book arts as part of our book and cultural
heritage," said Ms. Tessman. "We are eager to develop new
partnerships throughout Utah's entire community of the
book." The advisory board for the new center includes
representatives from the Utah Humanities Council, the Utah
Arts Council, the Utah State Library, the University of
Utah's Marriott Library, as well as writers, book sellers,
and publishers. Initial plans include support of the Great
Salt Lake Book Fair and development of an annual statewide
literary and book arts awards program.
For information about the Utah Center for the Book,
contact Nancy Tessman, Director, Salt Lake City Public
Library, 209 E. 500 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111
or call (801) 524-8200.
The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress
was established in 1977 to stimulate public interest in
books, reading, and libraries. Its projects, supported
mostly by private funds, reach into every region of the
country through a network of more than 30 affiliated state
centers and 50 national, educational, and civic
organizations. For information, visit the center's
Web site at: http://www.loc.gov/loc/cfbook/.
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PR 98-195
12/15/98
ISSN 0731-3527