7 July 2025
The Mellon Foundation today announced the appointment of Dr Carla Hayden as a senior fellow. As part of the Foundation’s fellowship, Dr. Hayden, the 14th Librarian of Congress, will pursue scholarship, writing, and research projects while also serving as a strategic partner and counsel, working in collaboration with Foundation leadership and staff, advising on opportunities to support and advance libraries, archives, and other organizations in the public knowledge ecosystem.
Dr Hayden brings nearly five decades of transformative leadership in library science and public service, having modernized and democratized access to the world’s largest library by overseeing digitization initiatives, expanding public engagement with its vast collections, and making the institution more relevant and accessible to all Americans during her tenure as Librarian of Congress from 2016 to 2025.
“For generations, libraries, archives, and cultural institutions have been the guardians of knowledge and the catalysts for human progress,” said Dr Hayden. “At a time when equitable access to information and the free exchange of ideas face significant challenges, I am honored to join the Mellon Foundation as a senior fellow. Together, we will work to strengthen the public knowledge ecosystem and ensure that the transformative power of information remains accessible to all.”
Dr Hayden’s year-long appointment comes at a pivotal moment for libraries and public knowledge institutions navigating both historic challenges and transformative advances—from the evolving impact of artificial intelligence and digital technologies to the urgent need to ensure equitable access to information, decreasing federal funds for libraries, and escalating censorship efforts.
“We celebrate Dr Hayden’s career-long commitment to the profoundly American tradition of freedom to read, learn, and explore the vast knowledge held within our country’s libraries and archives,” said Mellon President Elizabeth Alexander. “We welcome her wisdom and counsel as a leader with an unshakable regard for the public good of the American people. We are thrilled that she is sharing her expertise with the Mellon Foundation during this crucial time.”
Prior to her service as the Librarian of Congress, Dr Hayden served for 23 years as CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library system in Baltimore, Maryland, transforming 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 spanned social and economic divides.
Dr Hayden was president of the American Library Association from 2003 to 2004. In 1995, she was the first African American to receive Library Journal’s Librarian of the Year Award in recognition of her outreach services at the Pratt Library, which included an after-school center for Baltimore teens offering homework assistance and college and career counseling. Hayden received 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 numerous civic and professional memberships and awards, Dr Hayden is an elected member of the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.