Industry & Advocacy News

Authors Guild Congratulates Dr. Carla Hayden on Her New Role with the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Literary Culture

July 17, 2025

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The Authors Guild is delighted to congratulate Dr. Carla Hayden on her appointment as senior fellow with the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. After President Trump’s shocking and unjustified dismissal of Dr. Hayden from her position as Librarian of Congress in May—a firing we condemned—Dr. Hayden has found a new platform from which to continue her vital work advancing public knowledge through libraries and archives.

Dr. Hayden’s new role places her at one of the nation’s largest supporters of artistic and cultural initiatives, where she will advise on efforts to strengthen libraries, archives, and other organizations that serve as guardians of knowledge and catalysts for expression. This appointment represents not just a personal triumph for Dr. Hayden but a victory for the principles of intellectual freedom and democratic access to information that she has championed throughout her distinguished career.

As we noted in our original statement objecting to her dismissal, Dr. Hayden’s tenure as Librarian of Congress was marked by visionary leadership and an unwavering commitment to inclusivity. She modernized the institution, expanded digital access, and championed initiatives that brought the library’s vast resources to underserved communities across America. Her firing—reportedly due to accusations from conservative groups that criticized her for promoting diverse literary works—represented a profound misunderstanding (PDF link) of the role of our national library and an abuse of power. The Library of Congress is not the “President’s Library.” It serves Congress and the American people, not the executive branch.  We hope Congress will enact legislation soon to ensure that Congress alone possesses the power to appoint and fire future Librarians of Congress.

The Mellon Foundation’s recognition of Dr. Hayden’s expertise and leadership comes at a crucial moment when free expression and the free exchange of ideas face significant challenges. We are confident that her wisdom, experience, and unshakeable regard for the public good will advance the foundation’s mission to support the arts, humanities, and cultural institutions that preserve and celebrate American creativity in all its forms, and that her appointment is a recognition of the great importance of writers and other creators to our civilization.