Library of Congress Hosts Reading Promotion Partners Meeting

On Thursday, March 13, the American Booksellers Association participated in the Library of Congress Center for the Book's annual Reading Promotion Partners Meeting, held at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Representing ABA at the meeting was Jill Perlstein, ABA's director of marketing. "It was a productive meeting," Perlstein reported. "It's encouraging to see how many groups are looking to get together to promote literacy."

The Center for the Book started its reading promotion partners network in 1987. Now numbering more than 90, the partners are mostly national or international organizations that promote books, reading, literacy, or libraries and are interested in co-sponsoring promotion projects with the Center for the Book. Partners explore partnerships at the local level between their regional, state, or local chapters and the Center for the Book's affiliates in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Additionally, they help promote the Center for the Book's national reading promotion theme. This year the theme is "Telling America's Stories."

Perlstein noted that there were approximately 50 people who attended the meeting. The Library of Congress updated the partners on its recent activities to promote literacy, as did each group represented at the meeting. ABA discussed activities it had conducted to encourage literacy and reading, including the Book Sense 76 lists -- general, children's and specialty lists for teens, and audio selections. Additionally, it was noted that the Library of Congress-sponsored National Book Festival, which is currently scheduled for October 4, and is hosted by First Lady Laura Bush, would now include a Teen/Young Adult tent.

Other groups that attended the meeting included the American Library Association; the Association of American Publishers; SeniorNet, an online book club for 50-plus individuals; the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies; the American Printing House for the Blind; the Legacy Project, which is working to produce Armed Service editions of books; and the National Newspaper Association.

For a full list of the reading promotion partners, click here.