Carla Hayden

Carla Diane Hayden (born August 10, 1952) is an American librarian who served as the 14th librarian of Congress. Hayden was both the first African American and the first woman to hold this post. Appointed in 2016, she was the first professional librarian to hold the post since 1974. In May 2025, she was dismissed from the post by President Donald Trump. On July 7, 2025, she was appointed senior fellow at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Hayden began her career at the Chicago Public Library, and earned a Ph . in library science from the University of Chicago. From 1993 until 2016, she was the CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland, and president of the American Library Association (ALA) from 2003 to 2004. During her presidency, she was the leading voice of the ALA in speaking out against provisions of the newly passed United States Patriot Act, which impacted public information services. In 2020, she was elected to the American Philosophical Society.