The Library of Congress, for the first time in its history, has a space devoted to the reading interests of children and teens in its historic Thomas Jefferson Building. On Oct. 23, 2009, Librarian of Congress James H. Billington welcomed a group of young people, parents and others to the new Young Readers Center. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and her three children and Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) and his son helped open the new center.

M.T. Anderson, who writes books for both children and teens, was the special guest author. He is the writer of such acclaimed and popular books as "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing" and "Me, All Alone, at the End of the World." Anderson has also appeared at the Library’s 2007 National Book Festival.

Visitors to the Young Readers Center can choose to read a book from an up-to-date collection of noncirculating titles; they can browse the web’s kid-friendly sites; or they can attend programs especially designed for young readers. The center’s media room also provides an opportunity for visitors to view webcasts of young adult and children’s authors who have appeared at the National Book Festival.

The Young Readers Center is located in Room G 31, ground floor, of the Thomas Jefferson Building at the corner of First Street and Independence Ave. S.E. It is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. and is closed on all federal holidays. The phone number is (202) 707-1950.

The Center for the Book also helps oversee the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature in collaboration with the Children’s Book Council. The first ambassador is Jon Scieszka, whose two-year term ended in December 2009.

The center also oversees the Library’s new literacy website, which provides reading resources especially for kids and teens, as well as adults, educators and parents. A highlight of the site is the exclusive episodic story "The Exquisite Corpse Adventure," a joint project with the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance. Every two weeks a new episode and illustration will appear. Some of the nation’s best authors and illustrators for young people are contributing their work to this project. Authors launched the story at the 2009 National Book Festival.