Early Monday, the Mellon Foundation shared exciting news on social media that has garnered over 1,000 likes, showcasing widespread enthusiasm from librarians nationwide.
This strong support highlights the anticipation for Dr. Carla Hayden’s upcoming role as a Senior Fellow at Mellon in 2025.
According to the press release, Dr. Hayden's appointment comes at a critical time as libraries confront the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies, alongside the urgent need to ensure equitable access to information.
During her tenure, Dr. Hayden will focus on scholarship, writing, and research projects.
Additionally, she will collaborate with the Foundation’s leadership and staff to advise on opportunities to support and advance libraries, archives, and other organizations within the public knowledge ecosystem.
Dr. Hayden brings nearly five decades of transformative leadership in library science and public service.
She modernized and democratized access to the Library of Congress, overseeing digitization initiatives, expanding public engagement with its vast collections, and making the institution more relevant and accessible to all Americans during her time as Librarian of Congress from 2016 to 2025.
Before her role at the Library of Congress, Dr. Hayden served for 23 years as the CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library system in Baltimore, Maryland, where she transformed a deteriorating library system into a vital community resource.
Under her leadership, the system launched innovative programs, including after-school centers for Baltimore teens, comprehensive digital access initiatives, and community-centered services that addressed social and economic divides.
Dr. Hayden was also the president of the American Library Association from 2003 to 2004.
In 1995, she became the first African American to receive the Library Journal's Librarian of the Year Award, recognizing her outreach services at the Pratt Library, including an after-school center that offered homework assistance and college and career counseling.
She holds a B.A. from Roosevelt University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the Graduate Library School of the University of Chicago.
Among her many civic and professional memberships and awards, Dr. Hayden is an elected member of both the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation aims to foster just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can flourish.