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Contact: Larra Clark
Press Officer
312-280-5043

For Immediate Release
May 24, 2004

Former White House terror advisor Richard A Clarke to keynote
ALA Opening General Session

CHICAGO -- One of the year's most talked about national public figures will provide the opening keynote address at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla., Saturday, June 26.  Richard A. Clarke, author of the best-selling book "Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror," will bring his experience working for seven presidents and three decades of service to the podium at the world's largest library conference. Clarke's appearance is sponsored by Severn House.

Clarke served the last three presidents as a senior White House advisor.  He was named the counterterrorism czar for both former President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush.  Initially appointed as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence by former President Ronald Reagan, Clarke was the Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs in former President George H. W. Bush's administration.  Prior to his 11 consecutive White House years, Clarke served 19 years in the Pentagon, the intelligence community and the State Department.

"Against All Enemies" opens with scenes of Clarke's experience as the nation's crisis manager leading during the September 11, 2001, attacks. "It is a rarity among Washington-insider memoirs - it's a thumping good read," wrote James Risen of the New York Times.

Clarke is now an on-air consultant with ABC News, director of the Hart-Rudman Task Force on emergency responders and chair of the Good Harbor Consulting, an information technology consultancy.

The ALA Annual Conference takes place June 24 to 30.  The Opening General Session kicks off in the Convention Center Hall D2 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.  About 25,000 library staffers, publishers, authors and guests are expected to attend more than 2,300 programs, meetings and social events during the week. For more information, visit www.ala.org/annual.