2008
We are grateful to Mrs. Bush for making this a signature event in the nation’s capital for the last eight years. Her love of reading has inspired millions to enjoy the Library of Congress in Washington and online, and to use their own hometown libraries everywhere.”
– Dr. James Billington, Librarian of Congress
The Library of Congress hosted a preview of the multilingual World Digital Library that was set to debut in April 2009 and shows how rare documents are digitized.
Scholastic build-a-book activity center allowed hundreds of children to become authors as they literally built their own book.Attendance: 120,000
Featured authors, illustrators, poets, and storytellers included:
- Booker Prize winner Sir Salman Rushdie, knighted the same year for his service to literature.
- First Lady Laura Bush and her daughter with their new children’s book. This was Mrs. Bush’s last year hosting the Festival.
- Former NFL running back Tiki Barber
- Singer Dionne Warwick
View the 2008 Festival Program (PDF, 1.99MB)