From left, John Cole, Center for the Book director, with Marie Arana, editor-in-chief of The Washington Post's "Book World."; Writer Catherine Asaro was a speaker in the new Science Fiction & Fantasy Pavilion at the National Book Festival; Poet Laureate Ted Kooser (right) visits Chuck Peek (left) and Mary Jo Ryan of the Nebraska Center for the Book at the Nebraska table. - all photographs by Pat Fisher
The Center for the Book, which has more than a quarter-century of experience in promoting reading, is privileged to play a key role in the Library's annual National Book Festival. It develops, coordinates and oversees arrangements for the presentations by the festival's authors, illustrators and poets. The center also organizes and manages the Pavilion of the States.
In turn, the National Book Festival helps the center strengthen its mission of stimulating public interest in books, reading, literacy and libraries. Many of the participating authors and illustrators are past and potential future participants in the center's "Books & Beyond" author series. Moreover, the state centers for the book and many of the center's national reading promotion partners, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), are active festival participants.
Authors & Illustrators & Poets at the National Book Festival
Author Clive Cussler drew a standing-room-only crowd when he spoke in the Mysteries & Thrillers Pavilion.
The 2004 National Book Festival featured 76 popular authors, illustrators and poets. Compared to some other book festivals, this is a huge number, especially since - by design - all of the presentations and book signings take place on a single day. Thus the estimated 85,000 members of the public who came to the festival on Oct. 9 had to make difficult choices: which author, which book, which autograph? Looking to the future, however, the National Book Festival is also building a unique historical record: most of the presentations by authors, illustrators, poets and storytellers at the first four National Book Festivals (2001-2004) can be seen and heard on the Library's Web site at www.loc.gov/bookfest/.
In addition to its sponsorship by the Library of Congress, the important role played by first lady Laura Bush, and its location on the National Mall - what are the special characteristics of the National Book Festival?
For one thing, it relies on donations from the private sector for its support. Festival presentations and book signings are free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. In the Pavilion of the States, representatives from all 50 states, the District of Columbia (and in 2004, four American territories) distribute literature and publicity about what's happening in their states to promote the state's libraries, author and literacy promotion programs. Included is information about state book festivals and author awards programs - usually sponsored by state centers for the book.
Left, mystery writer Dana Stabenow points out Alaska on the Pavilion of the State's "Discover Great Places Through Reading" map of the states; right, Center for the Book Director John Cole in Target's Big Red Chair in the "Let's Read America" Pavilion with Target community specialist Tracy Ronning (left) and marketing specialist Jill Anderson (right).
Who is invited to participate? Most of the nominations come from publishers, who are invited each January to suggest award-winning and nationally known authors, illustrators or poets who are also recognized to be excellent speakers. Publishers are expected to support the travel and lodging expenses of accepted nominees and to make all their travel arrangements.
Since 2003, the NEA has been the sponsor of the Poetry Pavilion. NEA and the Center for the Book collaborate on the selection and support of nationally known poets at the Festival.
The Pavilion of the States
Illustrator Floyd Cooper, who designed the 2004 National Book Festival poster, signs a copy for New Jersey Center for the Book coordinator Renee Swartz.
Since its debut at the 2002 National Book Festival, the Pavilion of the States has been one of the festival's most popular sites. Here each state has a chance to tell and document the stories of their own literary and library traditions. At each state table, visitors can learn about their state's book and reading promotion activities - including state book festivals (the most comprehensive and current listing is on the Center for the Book's Web site at www.loc.gov/cfbook/). A popular pavilion feature, especially among young readers, is a map of the states ("your map to some great books and great places") that can be presented at each state table for an appropriate sticker or stamp.
A popular new activity in 2004 was the scheduling of about a dozen "mini-events" at state tables, usually featuring brief appearances and occasionally book signings by authors appearing in one of the pavilions. Authors, illustrators and poets who greeted their fans at their "home" state tables included Dana Stabenow (Alaska), Douglas Brinkley (Louisiana), Nathaniel Philbrick (Massachusetts), Patricia MacLachlan (Massachusetts), Kate DiCamillo (Minnesota), Ted Kooser (Nebraska), Floyd Cooper (New Jersey) and Ron Chernow (New York).
The Pavilion of the States is supported primarily by IMLS, which, through the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA), makes travel funds available to state representatives. The eight state centers for the book hosted by state humanities councils receive additional funding from NEH.
"Letters About Literature" Promotes Reading and Writing
In 2003, Target Stores, also a National Book Festival sponsor at the Corporate Sponsor level, became the exclusive national retail sponsor of "Letters About Literature," the Center for the Book's popular national reading and writing program for children and young adults. In the 2003-2004 project, more than 40,000 students in grades 4 through 12 wrote personal letters to an author, explaining how the author's work had changed their view of the world or of themselves. More than 100 judges across the country selected state winners at three competition levels. Affiliated state centers in 41 states and the District of Columbia took part by selecting judges and often by hosting the state awards ceremony. Target Stores brought the six national winners, their parents, and one teacher per student to Washington, D.C., for the 2004 National Book Festival, where the students read their winning letters in the "Teens & Children" Pavilion.
Left, Mary Kay Dalgreen, director of the Oregon Center for the Book, jokes with a festival visitor in the Pavilion of the States; right, national winners in the Center for the Book/Target Stores student reading and writing contest with Librarian of Congress James Billington.
