Center for the Book
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The US Library of Congress Center for the Book was founded in 1977 by
History
In 1977, Librarian of Congress Dr. Daniel J. Boorstin founded the Library of Congress' Center for the Book, which was established by Congress in public law 95-129 to promote books, reading, literacy and libraries, as well as the scholarly study of books. Dr. Boorstin appointed Dr.
Leadership
Dr. John Y. Cole was the founding director of the Center for the Book; he served in that position from 1977 until 2016.[1][2] He is the author of Jefferson’s Legacy: A Brief History of the Library of Congress (1993) and On These Walls: Inscriptions and Quotations in the Library of Congress (1995), among other books focusing on the history of the Library of Congress, where he is the institution's official historian.[2]
In June 2016, Pam Jackson was named the director of the Center for the Book.[3] As of 2018, the director was John Van Oudenaren[4] who was succeeded by Guy Lamolinara.[5]
Affiliated projects
National Book Festival
The Library of Congress National Book Festival, established in 2001, is an annual event in which the Center for the Book plays a major role. The festival was previously held on the National Mall for two days in the fall. Authors are invited to give readings, sign books, give lectures and do interviews. Representatives from across the country are also invited to promote their states’ literary heritage in the Pavilion of the States. Tens of thousands of people attend the festival each year. In 2014, the National Book Festival will move indoors to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Other changes include returning to a one-day schedule. Evening hours will be added so about the same number of authors will participate.[6]
Letters About Literature
Letters About Literature was a national contest created by the Center for the Book that encouraged literacy in grades 4–12. The contest asked students to read a work of either prose or poetry and write to its author (living or dead), explaining how what they read affected them. Contestants competed in one of three age groups: Level I: grades 4–6; Level II: grades 7–8; Level III: grades 9–12. Letters were initially screened through two rounds of judges, who were individuals with knowledge of children’s literature. The best letters moved on to state competitions, and those winners moved on to a national competition hosted by the Library of Congress. Judging began in March for state competitions, and national winners were announced in May. The final competition was held during the 2018/19 school year.[7]
River of Words
The Center for the Book and St. Mary's College Center for Environmental Literacy partner in presenting River of Words, the largest youth poetry and art competition in the world. Founded in 1995 under former Poet Laureate Robert Hass, the contest is free to all contestants. The contest asks students ages 5–19 to examine a watershed in their environment and reflect on what it means to them. They must then express their reflection through poetry or art. In 2011 the Center for the Book co-sponsored a concert in which acclaimed composer Libby Larsen set some of the winning poems to music. Every year the contest receives tens of thousands of submissions. The contest is particularly popular with Scout troops and other organizations with an emphasis on the outdoors.
Young Readers Center
The Young Readers Center was opened in the Library of Congress' Thomas Jefferson Building in 2009 to provide a place for children 16 years and younger accompanied by an adult to access reading materials and other literary resources and to attend programs, such as a weekly story hour.
Literacy Awards
The Center for the Book began managing the Library of Congress Literacy Awards after their creation was announced at the 2012 International Summit for the Book. Created and sponsored by philanthropist
The award winners and honorees are announced at the annual Library of Congress National Book Festival, and list is available at the Library of Congress website.
National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest
The National Collegiate
Library of Congress Poetry & Literature Center
The Center for the Book administers the Library of Congress Poetry & Literature Center, which serves as the Office of the
National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature
Sponsored by the Center for the Book and the
See also
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Library of Congress.
- ^ "John Y. Cole". C-SPAN. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
- ^ a b "Cole Named Library of Congress Historian; Jackson Appointed Director of Center for the Book". Library of Congress. 9 April 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
- ^ "Center for the Book Previous Leadership". Library of Congress. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
- ^ "Center for the Book Staff". Library of Congress. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
- ^ Tucker, Neely (5 December 2023). "Q & A: Guy Lamolinara, at the Center for the Book". Library of Congress Blogs: TIMELESS - Stories from the Library of Congress. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
- ^ Charles, Ron. "National Book Festival to Move Indoors This Year". The Washington Post. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ "Letters About Literature". Library of Congress. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
- ^ "Library of Congress Literacy Awards". Library of Congress. Retrieved 9 September 2014.