ALA: Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden Wins 2017 Melvil Dewey Award

From the American Library Association:

Librarian of Congress Carla D. Hayden is the winner of the 2017 Melvil Dewey Medal.  This annual award, presented by the American Library Association (ALA) and sponsored by OCLC, recognizes “creative leadership of high order, particularly in those fields in which Melvil Dewey was actively interested:  library management, library training, cataloging and classification, and the tools and techniques of librarianship.”
“Dr. Hayden’s extraordinary accomplishments in multiple roles at the national, state and local levels are both outstanding and inspirational,” said Winston Tabb, chair of the Melvil Dewey Medal jury.  The jury made special note of Dr. Hayden’s inspiring leadership as president of the American Library Association.  The jury also was moved by her exemplary direction of the Enoch Pratt Free Library for nearly two decades, modernizing its services and facilities and setting a heroic example of the role of libraries in a free society by opening her libraries as safe refuges during a time of civic strife.  “And, of course,” Tabb continued, “the jury was thrilled to recognize Dr. Hayden’s historic appointment as the first woman and first African-American to be named Librarian of Congress, our national librarian.   In this new, critical role – the culmination of a life-time of high achievement – Carla is already bringing new life and audiences to the Library of Congress while making its unparalleled collections accessible to anyone, anywhere.”
The 2017 Melvil Dewey Medal will be presented at the ALA’s President’s program, Sunday, June 25, during the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.
In addition to Chair Winston Tabb, Sheridan Dean of University Libraries and Museums at the Johns Hopkins University, the members of the 2017 Melvil Dewey Medal jury are:  Maxine Bleiweis, William Schultz, Ann Symons, and Julia Warga.

Related Resources
Video: Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, Takes NBC’s Sunday TODAY “Inside the Library of Congress” (April 9, 2017)
Dr. Hayden’s Swearing-In Ceremony (September 14, 2016)

Direct to Full Text of Dr. Hayden’s Remarks

Filed under: Associations and Organizations, Awards, Libraries, Management and Leadership, News