Dr. Carla Hayden testified at a hearing of the Committee on House Administration, U.S. House of Representatives, on Feb. 6, 2016. The hearing was titled, Priorities of the House Officers and Legislative Branch Entities for FY 2018 and Beyond.
The full text of her prepared testimony is available here (7 pages; PDF, about 2800 words) and also embedded below.
Video of the hearing is available here.
Dr. Hayden begins her testimony at approx. 15:18 in the video with her prepared statement. She answers questions at 31:00.
Here are a six passages from the document:
I was asked recently what my favorite thing is about being the Librarian of Congress, and it came to me that my favorite part occurs every morning when I walk through the door, because each day I have the opportunity to discover something new.
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You, the Members of the United States Congress, and your predecessors in this body, built the Library of Congress. It is one of the greatest gifts and legacies 2 that the Congress has given to the American people. Whether you visit the Library online or in person, this great cultural patrimony must be fully accessible to all. This is my mission and my passion.
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We launched a new home page that is more dynamic and connects our collections more directly with the public. Our recently featured collection of inaugural materials was visited more than 40,000 times in just three days.
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The Library has undertaken a visioning effort this year that involves assessing our environment, including analyzing trends at information-based organizations such as libraries, archives and museums. We will look at dynamics such as demographic trends, funding models, partnerships and collaborations, information technology applications and other big-picture issues. We will also be reaching out to users of the Library of Congress to assess 4 strengths, challenges and opportunities. This work will inform our direction and priorities for the long term
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We also requested funding in fiscal 2017 to modernize and move the Library’s primary data center to a remote facility to reduce risk, allow for double the capacity, and achieve Tier III capability, which a renovation in our Capitol Hill spaces alone will not achieve. The primary computing facility infrastructure is near capacity and carries a high risk of unplanned shutdowns. Moreover, it is not a matter of if, but when, there will be a major mechanical failure – exclusive of the risk of a natural disaster or terrorist attack. It is imperative that the primary computing facility be modernized, and we strongly recommend locating it away from Capitol Hill.
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The U.S. Copyright Office has been the primary engine of growth for the Library’s collections. Let me be clear, the Office’s primary mission is advising Congress, supporting our creative community and the nation’s copyright system. But the mandatory deposit system has also ensured the national library’s collections are as close to a mint record of American knowledge and creativity as it can be. No other institution is taking on that role, and it is imperative that the Library of Congress continues to serve that function
Prepared Testimony: Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, Testifies Before U.S. House Committee on House Adm… by LJ's infoDOCKET on Scribd
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