Former Librarian of Congress, fired by Trump, vows to improve public information in new Mellon role
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation exclusively told The Associated Press that Carla Hayden will join the humanities grantmaker Monday as a senior fellow whose duties will include advising on efforts to advance public knowledge through libraries and archives.
The year-long post places Hayden back at the center of the very debates over American culture that surrounded her dismissal. The White House ousted Hayden, the first woman and the first African American to hold the title, after she was accused of promoting 'radical' literary material by a conservative advocacy group seeking to squash Trump opposition within the federal government.
Hayden acknowledged existing threats to 'the free exchange of ideas' in a statement to the AP.
'For generations, libraries, archives, and cultural institutions have been the guardians of knowledge and the catalysts for human progress,' she said. 'Together, we will work to strengthen the public knowledge ecosystem and ensure that the transformative power of information remains accessible to all.'
Meanwhile, the Mellon Foundation has been working to fill fiscal holes for arts communities reeling from federal cuts. Its $15 million 'emergency' fund aims to offset the $65 million that were supposed to go to the state humanities councils that organize book fairs, heritage festivals, theater productions and other programs fostering cultural engagement.
The foundation has previously supported the American Library Association's efforts to counter book bans, increase scholarships for librarians of color and boost adult literacy.
Mellon President Elizabeth Alexander said the foundation is thrilled to welcome Hayden, 'a leader with an unshakable regard for the public good of the American people,' during such a 'crucial time.' Public knowledge institutions are navigating 'historic challenges and transformative advances," according to Mellon, including artificial intelligence, digital technologies, federal funding withdrawals and censorship efforts.
Hayden's tenure at the Library of Congress included modernizing its collection of the nation's books and history. Recent campaigns sought to improve accessibility for everyday visitors. She oversaw new initiatives reaching out to rural and online audiences. And it was Hayden who arranged for Lizzo's 2022 performance where the artist played a crystal flute owned by President James Madison — among the Library's troves of artifacts.
Before her confirmation in 2016, Hayden spent more than two decades as CEO of Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Free Library system and was president of the American Library Association from 2003 to 2004. A graduate of Roosevelt University and the University of Chicago, she is a member of the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
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