Pratt Library's Carla Hayden, Nominated To Library Of Congress, Clears Committee

The head of Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Free Library cleared a major hurdle on her way to becoming the next librarian of Congress.

In a vote Thursday, the Senate Committee on Rules & Administration forwarded Pratt library CEO Carla Hayden's nomination to the full Senate. She was recommended to President Barack Obama by Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin. Obama nominated her in February.

“I was proud to recommend Dr. Carla Hayden to President Obama and am so pleased that she has been nominated as the next Librarian of Congress,” Mikulski said in a statement. “When I consider nominees for the executive branch, I have three criteria: competence, commitment to the mission of the agency, and integrity. Dr. Hayden not only meets these standards, she exceeds them. While it will be a loss for Baltimore and the Enoch Pratt Free Library, it will be America’s gain.”

Hayden knew the first family going back to Obama's days in Chicago, when she headed the Chicago Public Library. She's been the head of Baltimore's system since 1993, and was nominated by Obama and confirmed by the Senate to join the National Museum and Library Services Board in 2010

“For more than two decades, Dr. Carla Hayden has overseen one of the crown jewels of Baltimore, the Enoch Pratt Free Library. Dr. Hayden has been a cultural treasure to our city and a long-time, passionate defender of America’s libraries, ensuring access for all through her work to protect the free flow of information, civil rights and privacy protections,” Cardin said in a statement about the vote. “I was proud to recommend her to President Obama for a groundbreaking nomination to become our nation’s top librarian.”

Obama signed a law last year establishing a 10-year term for the Librarian of Congress with an option for reappointment. The position was previously considered a lifetime appointment.

The previous Librarian of Congress, James Billington, was criticized for not keeping up with advances in technology. Billington was appointed by President Ronald Reagan and served for 28 years before stepping down last year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.