For Immediate Release:
Feb. 25, 2016
Media Contact:
Jason Alston
803-822-3075
BCALA Celebrates Dr. Carla Hayden’s Nomination to be Librarian of Congress
The Black Caucus of the American Library Association would like to thank United States President Barack Obama and his administration for nominating Dr. Carla Hayden to serve as the fourteenth Librarian of Congress for the United States of America. Dr. Hayden is both the first African-American and the first woman to hold the post if confirmed, according to the White House.
The executive board of BCALA wrote a letter recommending Hayden for the post back in October. BCALA president Kelvin Watson received a call from the White House after issuing the letter. The text of the letter is on the second page of this release.
“This is a great moment for Dr. Hayden, as well as a significant milestone in Black librarianship and this will be a beneficial appointment for the entire country,” Watson said. “BCALA and the professional librarian community as a whole have been familiar with the work and the potential of Dr. Hayden for a long time. She is well-known and highly regarded, with good reason.”
Hayden is also a past-president of the American Library Association, and current ALA president Sari Feldman also applauded the nomination Wednesday. Hayden obtained professional degrees and previously practiced in Chicago; it was in Chicago where she first developed a relationship with President Obama.
President Obama said Wednesday, “Michelle and I have known Dr. Carla Hayden for a long time, since her days working at the Chicago Public Library, and I am proud to nominate her to lead our nation’s oldest federal institution as our 14th Librarian of Congress. Dr. Hayden has devoted her career to modernizing libraries so that everyone can participate in today’s digital culture. She has the proven experience, dedication, and deep knowledge of our nation’s libraries to serve our country well and that’s why I look forward to working with her in the months ahead. If confirmed, Dr. Hayden would be the first woman and the first African American to hold the position – both of which are long overdue.”
Hayden is currently the CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland, a position she has held since 1993. Dr. Hayden was nominated by President Obama to be a member of the National Museum and Library Services Board in January 2010 and was confirmed by the Senate in June 2010.
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Learn more about BCALA at www.previous.bcala.org