2004 National Book Festival

The Library of Congress and Laura Bush welcome you to the 2004 National Book Festival. This fourth annual celebration of books and the joy of reading has something for anyone who has ever picked up a book and entered a new world, learned an amazing lesson or discovered a previously unknown fact.

This year we are featuring more than 70 authors who have won countless awards and have countless fans eager to read their favorite writer's next novel, mystery, poem, history or biography. Readers of all ages will have a chance to hear these authors talk about their work and what inspires them to write, in addition to participating in many other activities.

Speaking of books that take us to a new world, the Library is excited to add a new pavilion — Science Fiction & Fantasy — to its ever-popular pavilions dedicated to Teens & Children, Fiction & Imagination, Mysteries & Thrillers, History & Biography, Home & Family and Poetry.

In the Library of Congress Pavilion, our Veterans History Project will be recording personal stories of the men and women who have served in the military during wartime as well as those who actively supported the brave service members on the battlefield.

The stories of another struggle, for equality in America, will also be recorded as part of the Voices of Civil Rights project, which will collect and preserve thousands of personal stories, oral histories, photographs and other artifacts. Also in this pavilion, the Library of Congress's Web sites, which attract millions of users daily, will be highlighted in special presentations. These sites feature extraordinary materials from the world's largest library and its partners.

America's public library system is unrivaled in the world. Libraries play a key role in our communities, and Librarian of Congress James H. Billington and Laura Bush encourage you to visit your local library, check out a book and delight in its unlimited possibilities.