Center for the Book American organization Written by Matthew C. Mariner Contributor to SAGE Publications's The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Mass Media and Society (2020) whose work appears in Britannica as part of a joint publishing agreement with SAGE. Matthew C. Mariner Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Apr. 21, 2026 •History Center for the Book, an organization established within the United States Library of Congress to promote, protect, and preserve the idea of the book, as well as to foster reading and literacy. The Center was founded in 1977 during a period when traditional concepts of literacy were expanding owing to the proliferation of new media formats. One of its original tasks was to further the scholarship of book history. Over time, the Center has grown into...

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