Books

National Book Festival

A book can take you anywhere you want to go.

Since 2001, the National Book Festival has been held each year. Sponsored by the Library of Congress, the festival attracts tens of thousands of book lovers. This celebration of books and reading is hosted by first lady Laura Bush.

What do you think happens at a book festival?

Lots of fun and interesting things happen at this festival. Many famous authors attend, reading from their books. You may have even read some of these authors' works.

Kids have a chance to meet some of their favorite authors and hear storytellers who perform with music, dance, and puppetry.

Laura Bush, the wife of President George W. Bush, hosts the National Book Festival with the Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington. Mrs. Bush was the founder of the successful Texas Book Festival, which is held every year.

If you don't live in the Washington, D.C., area and are unable to attend the Book Festival in person, why not visit your local library and read a book?

You can also learn much more about what you have read, seen, and heard on this Web site by visiting a library.

Learn more from the National Book Festival (Library of Congress) Homepage.

The Library of Congress Bicentennial

On April 24, 2000, the Library of Congress celebrated its bicentennial--it is 200 years old! Everyone--from famous and not-so-famous Americans to Big Bird-- joined in on the fun! The Library's bicentennial birthday party, held inside and outside the Thomas Jefferson Building, celebrated the achievements of Americans everywhere.

The Library, which is the world's largest, was founded April 24, 1800, the same year that the U.S. capital moved to Washington, D.C. The Library is a giant treasure house of creativity.

The birthday party included concerts and the release of two commemorative coins. The U.S. Postal Service issued a 33-cent stamp in the Library's honor with a picture of the interior dome of the Main Reading Room in the Jefferson Building, which opened in 1897. The next time you visit the Post Office, think about buying some Library of Congress stamps. If you use them on letters, tell your friends what you know about the Library.

Do you know how big the Library is?

The Library of Congress has more than 119 million items! These items are stored on more than 530 miles of shelves in three buildings near the U.S. Capitol building. In addition to the Jefferson Building, the Library has expanded to two more buildings: the John Adams Building and the James Madison Building. The oldest written material in the Library dates to 2040 B.C. But the Library also has millions of items in digital format too, and it gets bigger every day. About 4 million items were added to the Library in 1999 alone. If you visit Washington, D.C., be sure to visit the Library of Congress, across the street from the U.S. Capitol.

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