Dr. Carla Hayden will join @mellon.org to advise on efforts to advance public knowledge through libraries & archives.
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“Together, we will work to strengthen the public knowledge ecosystem and ensure that the transformative power of information remains accessible to all.”
apnews.com/article/carl…— American Library Association (@amlibraryassoc.bsky.social) July 8, 2025 at 3:23 PM
… The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation exclusively told The Associated Press that Carla Hayden will join the humanities grantmaker Monday as a senior fellow whose duties will include advising on efforts to advance public knowledge through libraries and archives.
The year-long post places Hayden back at the center of the very debates over American culture that surrounded her dismissal. The White House ousted Hayden, the first woman and the first African American to hold the title, after she was accused of promoting “radical” literary material by a conservative advocacy group seeking to squash Trump opposition within the federal government.
Hayden acknowledged existing threats to “the free exchange of ideas” in a statement to the AP.
“For generations, libraries, archives, and cultural institutions have been the guardians of knowledge and the catalysts for human progress,” she said. “Together, we will work to strengthen the public knowledge ecosystem and ensure that the transformative power of information remains accessible to all.”
Meanwhile, the Mellon Foundation has been working to fill fiscal holes for arts communities reeling from federal cuts. Its $15 million “emergency” fund aims to offset the $65 million that were supposed to go to the state humanities councils that organize book fairs, heritage festivals, theater productions and other programs fostering cultural engagement.
The foundation has previously supported the American Library Association’s efforts to counter book bans, increase scholarships for librarians of color and boost adult literacy…
The library’s interim leadership is a point of dispute. Trump appointed Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who represented the president during his 2024 criminal trial, as acting librarian. But staff, awaiting congressional approval of Trump’s permanent pick, have recognized Robert Newlen, who assumed the title upon Hayden’s ouster.
The role ‘s responsibilities range from looking after collections to selecting the country’s poet laureate to awarding the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song and the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. The library also manages the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.
Librarians serve 10-year terms, and Hayden’s was scheduled to end in 2026. Her tenure included modernizing its reservoir of the nation’s books and history. She oversaw new initiatives reaching out to rural and online audiences. Recent campaigns sought to improve accessibility for everyday visitors. And she arranged for Lizzo’s 2022 performance where the artist played a crystal flute owned by President James Madison — among the Library’s troves of artifacts…
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