For Immediate Release

Contact: Judith Platt

Ph: 202-220-4551

First Lady Laura Bush to Speak at AAP Annual Meeting

March 3, 2008, Washington, DC: The Association of American Publishers is pleased to announced that Mrs. Laura Bush will speak at the AAP Annual Meeting in New York on March 5, 2008.

As a former librarian and ardent book lover, Mrs. Bush has been encouraging Americans to read and for many years has worked to foster a love of books and learning, sponsoring numerous initiatives and events to celebrate books and authors. Mrs. Bush has been an enthusiastic supporter of AAP’s Get Caught Reading literacy promotion campaign, and appears on her own Get Caught Reading poster. She has championed the White House Salute to Authors, a series of literary events to honor significant American authors; the Designated Reader Campaign, a PBS initiative that encourages parents to read aloud to their children every day; the Texas Book Festival, a state-wide celebration that Mrs. Bush started as First Lady of Texas; and the National Book Festival, held annually in the Nation's capital, featuring appearances and readings by dozens of authors each year and attracting thousands of book lovers. Mrs. Bush is also an author herself, having recently co-written a children’s book with her daughter Jenna. Titled, Read All About It!, the book is due out in the spring.

“Publishers have been waiting for an opportunity to thank Mrs. Bush for her hard work in championing books and literacy since the inauguration of the National Book Festival in 2000. We’re delighted that she will be speaking now, as her own book is being published,” said AAP President and CEO Pat Schroeder. “Not only has she worked tirelessly to promote literacy and love of reading among Americans and their families, she has also remained committed to preserving our libraries and encouraging young people to pursue careers as librarians and teachers.”

Program information and registration forms for the AAP General Annual Meeting can be accessed via the “AAP Conferences” tab of the Association’s web site at www.publishers.org. Seating is limited so early registration is encouraged. Press interested in attending should contact Deidre Huntington at dhuntington@publishers.org.

To read Mrs. Bush's full remarks from the meeting click here.

The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry. AAP’s more than 300 members include most of the major commercial publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly societies. AAP members publish hardcover and paperback books in every field, educational materials for the elementary, secondary, postsecondary, and professional markets, scholarly journals, computer software, and electronic products and services. The promotion of reading and literacy are among the Association’s highest priorities.

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