Sen. Roy Blunt at June 9 Rules Committee hearing

At a four-minute hearing on June 9, the United States Senate Committee on Rules and Administration voted unanimously to approve the nomination of Carla D. Hayden to serve as the 14th Librarian of Congress. The committee’s voice vote was unanimous that Hayden’s nomination be reported to the full Senate for consideration with the recommendation that it be approved. Hayden, who was nominated in February by President Barack Obama to succeed former Librarian James Billington, testified before the committee at a strongly positive hearing on April 20. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, led the hearing, stating that “The nominee, in my opinion, will bring a wealth of experience to the position, and it’s my hope that this experience will lead the Library of Congress in a way that capably meets the demands of the 21st century.” When asked if there were any further debate, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) volunteered, “I’d just like to say that I’m impressed with Dr. Hayden. She has 40 years of experience in library management. The Library of Congress is a national treasure, and a big management responsibility, and I look forward to supporting her.” Her endorsement by democratic Maryland Senators Barbara Mikulski and Benjamin Cardin and Sen. Emeritus Paul S. Sarbanes at her testimonial hearing was also noted as a strong point in her favor. Ten members of the committee were present; Ranking Member Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was still in transit when the hearing adjourned. “I am absolutely confident Senator Schumer would second this if he was here,” said Blunt, instead requesting the second from Udall.

GETTING THE WORD OUT

For Hayden’s confirmation, a majority (51 or more) of senators must vote “aye” in the full Senate vote. The vote has not been scheduled, but could occur prior to the beginning of the Senate’s summer recess in mid-July. In a statement released by the American Library Association (ALA) following the hearing, ALA president Sari Feldman said, “Dr. Hayden is one vote away from confirmation as Librarian of Congress and she is poised to become the first professional librarian to be named Librarian of Congress in over 60 years. Once confirmed, she will be the perfect Librarian to pilot the Library of Congress fully into the 21st century, transforming it again into the social and cultural engine of progress and democracy for all Americans that it was meant to be.” ALA has set up a Legislative Action Center webpage to help supporters tweet, email, or phone their senator in favor of Hayden’s confirmation. Supporters are also encouraged to urge Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to schedule the vote immediately. In addition, social media users can post messages with the hashtag #Hayden4LOC to help get the word out. Library political action committee EveryLibrary has set up a webpage where supporters can both sign a petition in favor of Hayden’s confirmation and write to their representatives, urging them to vote yes. EveryLibrary’s statement reads, in part, “The focus of determining the next leader for the Librarian of Congress, as it was when President Obama made his initial nomination, should be on finding the right professional for the job. It should not be on upholding archaic and patriarchal customs. This is particularly true when the Library of Congress has received scrutiny for being complacent and absent in failing to serve as a principal voice for libraries and librarians. Additionally, much work and leadership is needed to help advance the institution in the areas of digitization, public awareness, use and overall management.” As of press time, the petition had nearly 500 signatures, and 568 emails had been sent to senators.

“GREAT NEWS” FOR THE NATION

In ALA’s statement, Feldman said, “Today’s unanimous vote by the Senate Rules Committee to recommend Senate confirmation of past ALA-president Dr. Carla Hayden to serve as the nation’s next Librarian of Congress is historic, much appreciated and great news not just for libraries and library supporters everywhere, but for the nation.” Added Blunt in a later statement, “Leading the Library of Congress requires multitasking on a scale rarely seen in other government organizations. I am confident Dr. Hayden will bring a great background and skill set to the job."