>> booktv is on twitter. follow us to get publishing news, scheduling updates, author or information and to talk directly with authors during our live programs. twitter.com/booktv. >> host: so, carla hayden, give us a preview of this year's national book festival. >> guest: this year's festival is exciting, and i must tell you it's going to be one of my favorites, because i am a big nonfiction fan. and the types of authors that we're going to have from david mccullough to j.d. vance whose book is on every reading list that you can imagine and every

book club, it's just an exciting time, so i'm thrilled. [laughter] >> host: how many authors do you invite? >> guest: oh, my goodness. when you think about a one-day festival, the national book festival, and you have over a hundred authors from children's authors, illustrators, graphic novelists, all of these different authors there all day, over 100,000 people come in and celebrate books and reading. you can't have a better time, i think. and i'm a little prejudiced because i'm a librarian, but i have to tell you any reader or anybody that wants to get inspired, the book festival is the perfect place. >> host: this is the 17th year of the book festival. your second -- actually, your first. or your second? >> guest: it's my second. i was sworn in, and one of the first things i had to do -- oh, poor me -- [laughter] was go and be at the national book festival last year.

and it was so inspiring. and this year we have even more activities for young people in particular, children and activity stations, and then we're going to have things that i think you know about. we're actually going to be having live from our main stage nonfiction authors like david mccullough. >> host: david mccullough, j.d. vance, condoleezza rice, tom friedman -- >> guest: michael lewis, whose books have been made into very popular movies. and i think that's something that people should think about too when they read a nonfiction book, who's going to be in the movie. especially j.d. vance's book. >> host: so what do you spend your day doing there? are you a tourist at that point? >> guest: i'm actually going to be opening up the book festival, and that will be something because people will be lined up, and it's going to be great. and then i'll be actually

introducing some authors, participating in some workshops, and then there's a poetry slam, and i get to be a judge, and that's really cool. so i'll be all around and really just soaking it all many in and getting -- it all in and getting a sense of how much people really enjoy it, because it is palpable. >> host: now, the national book festival, is it a creation of the library of congress? >> guest: it's actually a partnership, and it started in a wonderful way. first lady laura bush, who you may know is a librarian, started the texas book festival when she was first lady in texas. and then when she became first lady of the nation, she approached the library of congress and other literacy partners to start a national book festival. and it's been going ever since. >> host: does she have any involvement or your predecessor, james billington, at this point? >> guest: well, what we talk

about is their legacy and the fact that it started with dr. billington who was the 13th librarian of congress, i'm the 14th, and laura bush, the first lady at the time. and it really emphasizes, i think, the prominence of the joy of reading and promoting reading and to -- it actually was on the mall. it was outside and then there were some concerns because if it gets rained out, there you are. so it's now moved to the convention center in washington d.c. so we don't have to worry about rain, it's bigger, there are all kinds of venues, and it still has that mall feel though because you just walk around, and there are all types of things there. you can buy the books and have your books autographed by the authors. and that's always a thrill. >> host: when does planning for this start? >> guest: it starts as soon as

one festival is over, literally within a week we're assessing what happened, what worked, what didn't work, what do we want to do and improve, and we start working on it right away. >> host: now, do you have direct involvement? do you get updated on what's happening with this? >> guest: i have to tell you, i have more involvement probably than you might think because this really is the essence of what we are about at the library of congress. and so being involved with making sure we have a balance in types of authors and types of programming. so i get my hands in there. >> host: and booktv will be live at the main stage and also at the history and biography tent as well doing call-ins from our set down at the beginning. >> guest: and, see, that's what's so wonderful, to have the call-ins that people can actually participate. if everybody can't make it to, physically many washington,

d.c -- in washington, d.c., but to be able to view and participate with authors live while it's happening, i think that adds so much. and it gives everybody that experience, and they feel part of it. >> host: what's the pros and cons of holding it over labor day weekend? >> guest: it's a weekend that people are -- last days of summer before school is really kicking in. some schools start before labor day. i think i'm old enough and you might be -- [laughter] when everybody, you know, everybody went to school. but that's that last weekend. and to have books and reading and that type of activity as something you can do that saturday of labor day weekend when you're having your cookouts, your school supplies, all of that, i think, is a great way to get the mind working again but in a fun way. >> host: who are some of the partners for the library of congress in putting this on? >> guest: oh, the library of congress, well, one partner and

a person who has been so supportive over the years is mr david rubenstein. and he has been a major, major supporter of this effort. and when we look at the literacy groups and other groups that are part of it including c-span, it really adds to what we can have. >> host: have you thought about doing two daysesome i know for a while -- two days? i know for a while it was two days. >> guest: we've thought about it, and we're wondering if we can do it. we're finding though that having one day gives -- especially now with the live capacity so that people don't miss out -- that it might be good to think about having it in this concentrated day. it's a festival, it's that day. and so people have been asking though, so we'll look into it. >> host: is it a costly undertaking? >> guest: well, i mentioned mr. rubenstein, and he has been one of the major funders of the

festival. and that has helped quite a bit. and it helps with being able to provide a lot of the support. this is a lot of staff that's -- there's a lot of staff that's involved. people will see folks with t-shirts and little headphones and making sure everything's okay and being able to really make sure that we have the security, that we really have all of the things that you need to make a safe festival. >> host: now, carr that hayden -- carla hayden, have states approached you about the national festival, maybe wanting to create one of their own? >> >> guest: yes. in fact, i am attending the mississippi book festival, and i understand it's the third year that the state of mississippi is having its book festival. and other states, of course, texas is one of biggest and one of the first, wisconsin i understand also. so we are trying to make sure that we reach out as the library of congress and support that.

so we'll have a booth at the mississippi book festival too. >> host: and booktv will be live at the 17th annual national book festival at the washington, d.c. convention center. this is saturday of labor day weekend. we will be live with author events and call-ins. full schedule's available at booktv.org. [inaudible conversations] >> good evening. welcome to the atlanta history center. my name is kate whitman, and i'm