Because the Librarian of Congress, Hayden was tasked with digitizing the library’s large assortment.
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Al Drago/Getty Photos
By firing the Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden on Thursday evening, President Trump continued his remaking of American cultural establishments.
Hayden was the primary girl and the primary African American to carry the publish. She was additionally the primary particular person within the job to be term-limited. Her time was set to run out subsequent yr.
“There have been fairly regarding issues that she had accomplished on the Library of Congress within the pursuit of DEI and placing inappropriate books within the library for youngsters,” mentioned White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Friday.
NPR has reached out to Hayden for remark.
The Library of Congress does a number of issues. It is the primary analysis arm of the U.S. Congress. It homes the U.S. Copyright Workplace. It organizes the Nationwide Ebook Competition yearly (which, full disclosure, has hosted NPR journalists). However it additionally homes an enormous trove of books, movies, recordings, manuscripts, newspapers, and extra, making it one of many largest libraries on the earth.
When Hayden first acquired the job in 2016, her predominant activity was bringing the Library of Congress into the twenty first century and digitizing the gathering. It was a fairly large job, contemplating the Authorities Accountability Workplace had simply revealed a report in 2015 with the headline: “Sturdy Management Wanted to Handle Critical Data Know-how Administration Weaknesses.”
By most accounts, Hayden’s work in strengthening the Library’s digital infrastructure has been successful. At a listening to of the Home Administration committee Tuesday, Republican Congressman Bryan Steil praised Hayden and her employeessaying they “dedicate a number of time and repair to the nation and the Library of Congress, and their work must be recommended.”
Whereas libraries basically have grow to be fought-over turf within the broader tradition wars, the Library of Congress has principally stayed out of these controversies. Beside checking in on the method of digitization, the opposite subject of debate on this week’s listening to was the transforming its of the Library’s predominant studying room.
Democratic lawmakers, together with Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, have criticized the firing.
Additionally this week, numerous senior employees on the Nationwide Endowment for the Arts left their posts. In a letter revealed by the literary journal N+14 members of the NEA’s literary arts employees introduced their departures. “Whereas we do not know particularly how the work of the company will change, we all know the remaining employees will do their finest to assist you,” the letter learn.
President Trump had beforehand proposed eliminating the NEA. Over the weekend, arts teams throughout the nation acquired an electronic mail saying their grants from the Nationwide Endowment for the Arts had been canceled. It learn, “The NEA is updating its grantmaking coverage priorities to focus funding on initiatives that mirror the nation’s wealthy inventive heritage and creativity as prioritized by the President.”
This has since left arts teams – throughout the nation scrambling for funding.
And on Wednesday, CNN reported that numerous performers within the upcoming manufacturing of Les Misérables on the Kennedy Middle are planning on boycotting when President Trump sees the present on June 11.
Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Middle was an early present of drive. He fired Deborah Rutter, who served as president of the performing arts middle for a decade, and put in Richard Grenell as its interim president. Trump additionally positioned himself as chair of the board. Quite a lot of artists who have been slated to carry out cancelled their appearances in response.
That is only a portion of Trump’s modifications to arts establishments since he took workplace in January. He is additionally tried to chop employees on the Nationwide Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Providers.
Meghan Sullivan edited this story.
