Libraries and paper books need not worry about e-books taking over.  The 2011 National Book Festival in Washington D.C. was anything but empty.  Upon entering the National Mall, people were lined up for hours waiting for their books to be signed.  In fact, you could barely slip by and browse the featured authors inside the book sale tent sponsored by Barnes and Noble.  The book festival featured several famed authors including Hoda Kotb, David McCullough, and Julianne Moore.  The festival was divided by book genre including children, history, and poetry.  Each attendee received a free color brochure that featured a map of the festival grounds.  I found this quite helpful after getting off the metro from L’Enfant and trying to track down the book signing tents. 

Overall, I found this festival to be a fun-filled family oriented event.  The festival patrons were handing out free water and brochures upon entry, and the crowd seemed warm and friendly.  The only advice for next year is to get to there early if you’re planning on having your book signed.  The lines were wrapped around the mall by one o’clock.  Happy reading everyone!