Laura Bush welcomes Ludmila Putina, wife of Vladimir Putin, President of Russia,
to the Second Annual National Book Festival
Saturday, October 12, 2002 in the East Room of the White House. Standing
with the first ladies on stage are, left to right, Native American poet
Lucy Tapahoso, writer Mary Higgins Clark, Librarian of Congress James
Billington, and NBA player Jerry Stackhouse. White House photo by
Susan Sterner
National Book Festival 2002 
The 2002 National Book Festival was held on Saturday, October 12, on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall. Although America was changed forever after the first National Book Festival on September 8, 2001, our love of reading and the importance of sharing this love with our children and grandchildren did not change. The 2002 Festival was an opportunity not only to reaffirm America's love of reading and learning, but also to share that passion with the next generation.
Building on the success of the 2001 inaugural Festival at the Library of
Congress, the 2002 Festival featured more than 70 award-winning authors,
illustrators and storytellers from across the country and hosted more than
45,000 visitors. Book lovers of all ages were treated to a wide range of
events including author readings and book signings, appearances by
children's storybook characters, and musical performances.
The Let's Read America Pavilion housed nearly 60 national reading
and
educational organizations who distributed free information about their
projects and programs. The information highlighted nationwide reading and
literacy promotion projects for readers and potential readers of all ages
and from all walks of life.
The Pavilion of the States, a new addition to the 2002 National
Book
Festival, allowed attendees to learn about regional books and reading
cultures. The states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories were
each represented by delegates who showcased the efforts of their state to
strengthen libraries and literacy projects.
Recognizing the key role that reading and libraries play in the lives of
both young people and adults, Mrs. Bush and the Librarian of Congress,
James H. Billington, know that the National Book Festival will
continue to encourage Americans to take advantage of the remarkable
resources for lifetime learning available in our nation's libraries.