When then-Attorney General John Ashcroft said that the library association had been misled into opposing that part of the law, Hayden said the group was “deeply concerned that the attorney general should be so openly contemptuous” of librarians, the Library Journal reported.
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Hayden, now the chief executive of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, served as the president of the American Library Association more than a decade ago. Billington was appointed by President Ronald Reagan and served for 28 years before stepping down at the end of last year.
President Obama named his nominee for the 14th Librarian of Congress on Wednesday, and if confirmed, she would become both the first woman and the first African American to hold the position. “Last year, during the unrest in Baltimore, Dr. Hayden and the library’s staff kept the doors of the Pratt open as a beacon for the community”, continued Obama.
Dr. Carla D. Hayden, is now CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, MD, an institution that played a supporting role during the police brutality protests — and occasionally violent riots – that consumed the city previous year.
“Dr. Hayden has devoted her career to modernizing libraries so that everyone can participate in today’s digital culture”, Obama said in a statement.
While Hayden’s diverse background is groundbreaking, her enthusiasm for modern technology would also be a game changer for the Library of Congress. The institution has been slow to embrace the digital age, which has led to criticism about its technological failures and waste of taxpayer money.
Before President Obama exits The White House, he wants to make sure he still keeps on making history, especially within the African-American community. Dr. Hayden was Library Services Coordinator for the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago from 1982 to 1987.
“It was very evident that people needed, not only information, but a safe place and a trusted place to go”, Hayden says.
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While the timeline for Hayden’s confirmation is unclear, her nomination received praise from Maryland Sen.
