A Gift of Books to the Nation from the ABA

In a tradition begun during the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the American Booksellers Association will be making a gift of books to President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush for the White House Library on October 9, 2002.

The presentation of over 260 books will be made at the White House by the entire ABA Board of Directors, who will be in Washington for an ABA Board meeting. Included in the latest presentation to the White House library will be the titles from the 2002 May/June, July/August, and September/October Book Sense 76 lists, all of the finalists for the 2002 Book Sense Book of the Year Awards, and the recent Top Ten Reading Group 76 list. (To view the complete list of titles, go to http://news.bookweb.org/read/831.) All of the books are intended as a gift to the President and his family and have a special commemorative bookplate on the inside front cover.

ABA President Ann Christophersen noted to BTW that "ABA is grateful to be able to carry on a wonderful booksellers' tradition by adding to the White House Library. We're especially pleased that these titles -- which are all special favorites of independent booksellers nationwide -- reflect the full range of what Americans are reading in fiction, nonfiction, and children's books. In the past, a variety of formulae were used to determine which books would go into the collection, but the growth of the Book Sense program allows us to showcase the best of the best in the White House Library."

The October 9 event is subject to changes in the President's schedule.