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Tucson Festival of Books, The University of Arizona BookStores

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The biggest, most wonderful
book event in town.

With more than 100,000 attendees, 450 authors, and over 300 exhibitors, the annual Tucson Festival of Books (TFOB) is easily one of the top five book festivals in the U.S., attracting the interests of book lovers from across Southern Arizona and the nation! Hosted on The University of Arizona campus, the Festival is free and open to the public, providing a wide array of educational and book-related events, including author signings and presentations, writing workshops, vendor booths, food and refreshments from Tucson-area eateries, and more. Plus, ALL PROCEEDS from the Tucson Festival of Books are donated to support local literacy groups, including Literacy Connects, The Reading Seed, and UA BookStores' own WALK Storybook Character Hour events.

Young Writers' Competition Story Collection

The 2012 Young Writers' Competition invited all of the kids in Pima County in Pre-school through the twelvth grade to submit an original story of 1,000 words or fewer. The 2012 submissions were compiled into a collection short stories, produced on UA BookStores' Espresso Book Machine, and are now available for purchase online or in the store, only at UA BookStores.

UA BookStores' involvement in Tucson Festival of Books

The University of Arizona BookStores is proud to have been able to partner with the Tucson Festival of Books from it's inception to create such an exciting and diverse array of event offerings for the Tucson and Southern Arizona communities. UA BookStores staff members continue to serve roles on the Founders Committee (Associate Vice President of Student Affairs, Frank Farias), the TFOB Author Selection Committee, the TFOB Marketing Committee, and in other ways.

UA BookStores brings unique value to the Festival with special author signings, presentations, children's events, and by hosting as a venue for prominent author presentations and panel discussions. Additionally, UA BookStores contributed more $86,000 in labor and other financial contributions to help make the 2011 TFOB a memorable experience for our customers.

Benefitting UA Through Book Sales

UA BookStores also serves the UA and Tucson communities through book sales at the Festival, providing not only a wide array of books and merchandise throughout the TFOB venue, but a new revenue source that will come to benefit The University of Arizona and its student population. Be on the look-out for our book tents on the UA mall over the TFOB weekend and be sure to visit our location in the Student Union Memorial Center knowing that every purchase you make from UA BookStores will support student scholarships, student clubs and organizations, student employment, and more! For details about how UA BookStores contributes to the Tucson and campus communities, visit uabookstores.arizona.edu/wedomore.

eReader Tent

The University of Arizona BookStores will host the eReader Experience—a hands-on, interactive experience highlighting the movement towards digital content and eDevices—at the 2012 Tucson Festival of Books this weekend, March 10th — 11th on The University of Arizona campus.

Knowledgable team members from the UA BookStores Technology Team will provide Festival visitors with a hands-on user experience focusing on the ever-growing library of digital content, including eBooks, eMagazines, eNewspapers and more, using a wide array of the latest digital content devices, including the Apple® iPad, the Sony® eReader, the Kindle® Fire and others.

Users can learn about the pros and cons of each of these devices, various uses of these devices in personal, academic and business environments, and gain insights about which device will best suit their individual content and budgetary needs.

Science City

New to the Festival this year, The University of Arizona College of Science is hosting Science City—an extension to the Tucson Festival of Books focusing on learning and literacy, specifically as it pertains to scientific study and understanding. Topics include Aerospace, Defense and Engineering, Arts, Culture and Social Science, Bioscience, Health and Medicine, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics, Sustainability and Earth Sciences, and Technology & Computer Science.

Become a Friend of the Festival

Your official "Friend of the Festival" membership helps to support Tucson-area literacy programs, including Literacy Connects, The Reading Seed, and literacy events and programming at UA BookStores. Your charitable contribution is 100% tax-deductible, and membership includes a variety of discounts and benefits from Tucson-area businesses. Additional information is available at tucsonfestivalofbooks.org/donate.

Volunteers

The Tucson Festival of Books is always in need of volunteers. For information about how you can contribute to this year's Festival, visit tucsonfestivalofbooks.org/volunteer.

Parking Information

Although there will be no charge for parking at the event, parking lots and garages will fill very quickly. Visit the UA Parking & Transportation website for parking information or to view a parking map.