New York,
NY (July
15,
2005) --
At a ceremony celebrating the imminent release of J.K. Rowling’s sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Scholastic, the global children’s publishing and media company, and the U.S. publisher of Harry Potter, unveiled the first author-signed American copy and kicked-off the final countdown to the midnight release. After a transatlantic journey in a locked steamer trunk aboard the Queen Mary 2, the signed book arrived at Scholastic’s “Harry Potter Place” in New York City under tight security to be presented to the winner of Scholastic’s nationwide public library sweepstakes.
Scholastic’s Chairman, President and CEO, Dick Robinson, and the ten student winners of Scholastic’s “Why I Love Reading Harry Potter” essay contest unlocked the giant trunk, revealing the book which is inscribed “To those who love reading and libraries as much as I do” signed J.K. Rowling. The first author-signed copy was awarded to the West Asheville Branch Library in North Carolina, the grand-prize winner of the Company’s nationwide public library sweepstakes.
Scholastic also unveiled Harry Potter Place (Mercer Street between Prince and Spring Streets), an interactive environment for kids and families that captures the magic of Harry Potter and will be open to the public from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. as the site of Scholastic’s celebration of the book launch. The first author-signed American edition of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be on public display in a locked case guarded by security personnel at Harry Potter Place until 12:01 a.m., July 16 when Morna A. Childers, Children’s Specialist at the West Asheville Branch Library, will take possession of it. She will then travel back to North Carolina for a hometown celebration on Saturday, July 16 at 3:00 p.m. The grand- prize winning library also receives $2,000 worth of additional materials for the library to be chosen by the librarian from Scholastic’s catalogs.
More than 9,000 public libraries nationwide entered the sweepstakes for a chance to win the book. Due to the overwhelming response to the sweepstakes, Scholastic announced 49 additional prizes. Author J.K. Rowling graciously agreed to sign 49 bookplates to be placed inside special library-bound editions of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and presented to one public library sweepstakes participant from each of the other 49 United States (in addition to NC). (See complete list below or check listing on
www.scholastic.com.)
Scholastic is printing an initial unprecedented 10.8 million copies of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, an all-time United States publishing record. The fastest-selling book in history, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, J.K. Rowling’s fifth Harry Potter book, was released on June 21, 2003 and sold 5 million copies in the first 24 hours.
Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books and a leader in educational technology. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school-based book fairs, and school-based and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries and television networks; and the Company's Internet site,
www.scholastic.com.
The following is a list of public libraries that will receive a copy of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince with an autographed bookplate by J.K. Rowling:
Emmet O’Neal Library, Mountain Brook, Alabama
Ketchikan Public Library, Ketchikan, Alaska
Scottsdale Public Library, Scottsdale, Arizona
Crawford County Library, Van Buren, Arkansas
Santa Monica Public Library, Santa Monica, California
Louisville Public Library, Louisville, Colorado
Bill Memorial Library, Groton, Connecticut
Milton Public Library, Milton, Delaware
Clearwater Public Library, Clearwater, Florida
Jefferson County Library, Louisville, Georgia
Uhmanoa Hamilton Library, Honolulu, Hawaii
Lewiston City Library, Lewiston, Idaho
Palos Heights Public Library, Palos Heights, Illinois
Morgan County Public Library, Martinsville, Indiana
Hillsboro Public Library, Hillsboro, Iowa
Chanute Public Library, Chanute, Kansas
Casey County Public Library, Liberty, Kentucky
Livingston Parish Library, Livingston, Louisiana
Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, Maine
Queen Anne’s County Free Library, Stevensville, Maryland
Sixteen Acres Branch Library, Springfield, Massachusetts
Jackson District Library Hanover Branch, Jerome, Michigan
St. Paul Public Library Sun Ray Branch, St. Paul, Minnesota
Artesia Public Library, Artesia, Mississippi
University City Public Library, University City, Missouri
Flathead County Library, Kalispell, Montana
Ainsworth Public Library, Ainsworth, Nebraska
West Charleston Library, Las Vegas, Nevada
Harvey Mitchell Memorial Library, Epping, New Hampshire
Roxbury Public Library, Succasunna, New Jersey
Belen Public Library, Belen, New Mexico
Sayville Library, Oakdale, New York
Griggs County Public Library, Cooperstown, North Dakota
Franklin Public Library, Franklin, Ohio
Noble Public Library, Noble, Oklahoma
Tigard Public Library, Portland, Oregon
Eastern Monroe Public Library, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Woonsocket Havris Public Library, Woonsocket, Rhode Island
Blacksburg Branch Library, Blacksburg, South Carolina
Alexander Mitchell Public Library, Aberdeen, South Dakota
Pigeon Forge Public Library, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Fairbanks Branch, Houston, Texas
Smithfield Public Library, Smithfield, Utah
West Hartford Library, West Hartford, Vermont
Ashbum Library, Ashbum, Virginia
Soap Lake Public Library, Soap Lake, Washington
Mason County Public Library, Point Pleasant, West Virginia
Dodgerville Public Library, Dodgerville, Wisconsin
Sheridan County Fulmer Public Library, Sheridan, Wyoming