Highlights of Mrs. Bush's Library Tours and Visits

International Library Visits

November 23, 2002
Mrs. Bush tours the historic book collection of the University of Vilnius Library and Cathedral in Vilnius, Lithuania.

May 24, 2002
Mrs. Bush and Mrs. Vladmir Putin, the wife of the Russian President, visit the Russian State Children's Library in Moscow, Russia.

March 22, 2002
Mrs. Bush visits the Bi-National Center, also known as the Mexican-North American Institute for Cultural Relations in Monterrey, Mexico. The Center teaches English literacy and trains teachers to teach English. Mrs. Bush tours the Benjamin Franklin Library, the only public bilingual library in Monterrey, and the only lending library in Monterrey, Mexico.

July 19, 2001
The President and Mrs. Bush read to children in the Reading Room of the British Museum in London, UK.

June 13, 2001
Mrs. Bush tours the University Library K.U. Leuven (Universiteitsbibliotheek, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) in Leuven, Belgium.

June 12, 2001
Mrs. Bush visits the National Library of Spain (El Biblioteca Nacional) in Madrid, Spain.

U.S. Library Visits

2003

January 17, 2003
Mrs. Bush delivers remarks to volunteers at the District of Columbia Public Library, Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch, as part of the 2003 Greater D.C. Cares Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday of Service to encourage the strengthening of schools and libraries and to promote volunteer service to honor Dr. King's legacy.

2002

October 29, 2002
Mrs. Bush hosts the White House Colloquium on Libraries, Museums, and Lifelong Learning to recognize the recipients of the National Awards for Museum and Library Service. Mrs. Bush's efforts have focused on the key role that librarians, continued learning, and discovery have in the lives of young people and adults.

October 16, 2002
Mrs. Bush speaks at the Mobile Western Regional Public Library Opening in Mobile, Alabama, on the importance of using our public libraries and reading to children.

October 11-12, 2002
Mrs. Bush attends the second National Book Festival at the Library of Congress to help stimulate public interest in books and reading, and to recognize the critical part libraries play in advancing this goal.

June 13, 2002
Mrs. Bush speaks at the dedication of the Katherine Anne Porter Literacy Center, the second "National Literacy Landmark" in Texas, in support of special reading collections and libraries.

April 24, 2002
Mrs. Bush visits the George Bush Presidential Library and delivers the Twanna Powell Lecture at Texas A&M University, in College Station, Texas, to highlight her education initiatives and encourage volunteerism and civic participation.

January 9, 2002
Mrs. Bush tours the Topeka Library in Topeka, Kansas, meets with Youth Services Program volunteers, and reads to children. Mrs. Bush also attended an evening gala in support of the importance of libraries and lifelong learning.

2001

September 7, 2001
Mrs. Bush attends the first National Book Festival Gala at the Library of Congress to help stimulate public interest in books and reading, and to recognize the critical part libraries play in advancing this goal.

July 30, 2001
Mrs. Bush attends the National Book Festival launch and press conference at the Library of Congress. Ray Allen of the Milwaukee Bucks, representing the NBA's "Read to Achieve" program, was present and joined Mrs. Bush and the Librarian of Congress, Dr. James Billington, in reading to children.

April 4, 2001
During National Library Week, Mrs. Bush and Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, First Lady of Egypt, visit the District of Columbia Petworth Branch Library in Washington, D.C.

April 3, 2001
Mrs. Bush visits the District of Columbia Public Library, Northeast Branch, during National Library Week.

March 20, 2001
Mrs. Bush attends the "Everybody Wins D.C.!" reception at the Library of Congress. Mrs. Bush remarks on her education initiatives and the importance of programs that promote children's literacy and mentoring in which adults make a commitment to read to children.

March 2, 2001
Mrs. Bush visits the District of Columbia Public Library, Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch, where she participated in "Read Across America" day and helped celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday by reading to children from Thompson Elementary School.

For more information on Mrs. Bush’s Library Tours, please see the Laura Bush Foundation for America’s Libraries.