Past Library of Congress National Book Festivals
Related Resources at the Library
A Welcome Message from the Librarian of Congress
Hello. I'm Jim Billington, the Librarian of Congress. On Saturday, September 27th the Library of Congress — your library — presents the eighth annual National Book Festival, hosted by our First Lady Laura Bush. I hope to see you at this free, all-day event on the National Mall for book lovers of all ages.
More than 120,000 readers from across the country joined us last year and we hope you can be with us this year to enjoy the festival and be inspired by this wonderful opportunity to learn, imagine and celebrate the joy of reading.
About 70 award-winning authors, poets and illustrators will be at the festival, they'll be reading from their works, answering questions and signing their books. Favorite storybook characters will come to life and professional basketball players will also be there to greet children and inspire them to become lifelong readers.
Every state of the Union will be represented in the Pavilion of the States at the National Book Festival. You can find out about the many reading programs in your home state and also learn about the unparalleled collections at the Library of Congress which we make freely available on our award-winning Web site and interactively in new ways within the Library itself on Capitol Hill.
I invite you, your friends and your family to join me on September 27th as we all celebrate our shared love of reading. If you cannot make the trip to Washington, D.C., you can still experience this glorious event through our festival Web site, which includes author biographies, photos, podcasts, and teaching tools and activities for kids. So come, be a part of this wonderful national experience! Thank you.
A Welcome Message from First Lady Laura Bush
Hello, I’m Laura Bush — please join me and fellow book lovers on the National Mall Saturday, September 27 for the eighth annual National Book Festival, sponsored and organized by the Library of Congress.
Discover new books and experience the joy of old favorites. Indulge your imagination as you meet award-winning authors, illustrators, and poets. There are activities for all ages at the National Book Festival. Readers can explore genres from History and Mystery to Romance and Cookbooks.
Children can meet their favorite storybook characters. And visitors can learn about the extensive resources offered by the Library of Congress, as well as reading programs in your home states. The National Book Festival is free and open to the public.
Please join me at this year’s festival on September 27, as we gather on the Mall for a national celebration of reading.