Former Pitt professor confirmed as next Librarian of Congress

A former Pitt professor will take the reigns of the nation’s biggest library.

The Baltimore Sun reported Carla Hayden was confirmed by the Senate in a 74-18 vote Wednesday as the next head of the Library of Congress. Hayden, who was nominated by President Barack Obama in February, will be the the first woman and the first African-American to serve as Librarian of Congress.

Hayden was an assistant professor for Pitt’s School of Information Sciences from 1987 to 1991. She also served on the SIS’s Board of Visitors.

American Library Association President Julie Todaro said the library community was “elated” that Hayden would lead the library.

“There is no doubt that Dr. Hayden will have a positive impact by leading efforts to establish a more modern approach to serving members of Congress, researchers and the public at large,” Todaro said in a release. “I believe that through her visionary leadership the Library of Congress will soon mirror society’s rapidly changing information environment, while successfully preserving the cultural record of the United States.”
Hayden will be the 14th Librarian of Congress. She is replacing James Billington, who served as the Librarian of Congress for 28 years before retiring on September 30, 2015.