IMLS and the Roadmap to Reading

IMLS is proud to be a charter sponsor of the 2024 National Book Festival. The event will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Saturday, August 24, 2024.

IMLS is once again funding the festival’s Roadmap to Reading in Hall DE (Level 2, North Building). It features a fun and educational map activity for young people, who are encouraged to visit all 54 tables to collect a unique ink stamp plus a final giveaway at the IMLS booth from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Attendees can also meet representatives from their home states, discover this year’s Great Reads from Great Places, and learn about each state's literary heritage. IMLS in cooperation with the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) and additional funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), makes it possible for a state library representative and/or an affiliate of the Library of Congress's Center for the Book in each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Marianas to participate in the festival.

Roadmap to Reading visitors will learn about innovative programs funded by IMLS in libraries across the nation, pathways to librarianship, and the important role of state libraries. In addition to being a destination for completing the Roadmap to Reading activity, the IMLS booth invites visitors to stop by for a selfie and make their mark on a map of the United States.

The Library of Congress National Book Festival is an annual literary event that brings together best-selling authors and thousands of book fans for author talks, panel discussions, book signings and other activities. Over its history, the National Book Festival has become one of the pre-eminent literary events in the United States.

Visit the 2024 National Book Festival website for program schedule and information.

Acting Director Cyndee Landrum at the National Book Festival

Cyndee Landrum will be moderating a session featuring James S.A. Corey. James S.A. Corey is the pen name of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. They are best known for their science fiction novel series “The Expanse,” and for writing and producing its television adaptation.

Saturday, August 24, 2024 5:35 pm - 6:35 pm EDT
Ballroom ABC (Level 3, South Building)

After "The Expanse": James S.A. Corey on Their New Series Debut, "The Mercy of Gods"
When humanity is overrun by an invading alien species, what will be required to survive? “The Mercy of Gods” launches a new sci-fi series by James S.A. Corey, the pen name for the creators of “The Expanse.” Placed in competition with other captive species, humans must remember who the real enemy is.

Moderater: Cyndee Landrum, Acting Director of IMLS
Featuring: James S.A. Corey

About the National Book Festival
Since its inception in 2002, the interactive states activity at the National Book Festival, recently rebranded as the Roadmap to Reading, has been a collaborative effort of the Center for the Book and IMLS to promote libraries, literacy, and reading, as well as careers and opportunities in library and information science.