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John Y. Cole

Home Featured Authors & Panelists Featured Participant Lineup 2025 John Y. Cole

Librarian and historian John Y. Cole dedicated his 55-year career to increasing public understanding of the key role the Library of Congress plays in American life. He served as founding director of the Center for the Book­ and was instrumental in the creation of the National Book Festival. He launched the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature program and founded the Library of Congress Literacy Awards program. He was appointed as the Library's first official historian in 2016.

Schedule

11:00 am to 11:45 am
State Library, Fifth Floor, Capitol View Room
America’s Greatest Library: An Illustrated History of the Library of Congress
John Y. Cole with moderator Tracy Carr

Noon to 12:45 pm
Cavalier House Books Tent
Book Signing

America's Greatest Library: An Illustrated History of the Library of Congress

Packed with fascinating facts, compelling images, and little-known nuggets of information, this new go-to illustrated guide to the history of the Library of Congress will appeal to history buffs and general readers alike. It distils over two hundred years of history into an engaging read that makes a Washington icon relevant today.