Carla
Hayden — President Barack Obama's pick to head the Library of Congress — could
soon make history as the first woman and first African American to hold to the
post if approved by the full Senate.
The
Senate Rules Committee on Thursday endorsed Hayden, the longtime head of
Baltimore's library system, to be the next Librarian of Congress.
Carla
Hayden, CEO of the Pratt Library, gives a tour of the library's central branch
in Baltimore on April 16, 2015. President Barack Obama nominated Hayden, on
Feb. 24, 2016, the longtime head of Baltimore'??s library system, as the next
Librarian of Congress. Barbara Haddock Taylor / AP
Earlier
this year, President Obama nominated Hayden
to be the 14th Librarian of Congress in the institution's 214-year
existence, a historic move that Obama called "long overdue."
Obama
signed a law last year establishing a 10-year term for the Librarian of
Congress with an option for reappointment. The position was previously
considered a lifetime appointment.
The
previous Librarian of Congress, James Billington, was criticized for not
keeping up with advances in technology. Billington was appointed by President
Ronald Reagan and served for 28 years before stepping down last year.
If
confirmed, Hayden would inherit an institution which came under fire after a
congressional report found that copyright services and services for the
disabled were hampered by the library's technological woes.
When
Hayden served as president of the American Library Association from 2003-2004,
she spoke out against the Patriot Act and provisions aimed at giving federal
authorities access to the records of library users. She and then U.S. Attorney
General John Ashcroft went back and forth in their disagreement over the law's
thrust.
Hayden,
who also once held the second highest position with the Chicago Public Library,
was lauded by Obama for keeping the Baltimore library open during the tumult in
the wake of Freddie Gray's death.
As
head of the Baltimore library system, Hayden helped create an outreach program
for the city's teens which included homework help and college and career
advice. She also worked to improve Internet access of the Baltimore library's
holdings — efforts she said she's like to continue at the Library of Congress
were she to be confirmed.
Culled from: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/baltimore-s-chief-librarian-could-head-library-congress-n589256
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