Meet the new Librarian of Congress: Patriot Act opponent Carla Hayden

This is a big win:

The longtime leader of Baltimore’s public library system was confirmed by the [United States] Senate on Wednesday to head the Library of Congress despite concerns from some conservative lawmakers about her past position on a law intended to limit children’s access to pornography at schools and libraries.

Carla D. Hayden, the CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library since 1993, will become the first woman and the first African-American to oversee the nation’s largest library. Hayden was nominated by President Barack Obama in February and was confirmed by the Senate on a 74–18 vote.

Hayden has also served as the president of the American Library Association (ALA) during the last year of George W. Bush’s first term.

Wikipedia notes, “During her presidency, she was the leading voice of the ALA in speaking out against the newly passed United States Patriot Act.”

“This is truly a great honor to be nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to lead the nation’s library, the Library of Congress,” Dr. Hayden said in a statement. “It has been my privilege to serve the citizens of Baltimore for 23 years and help restore the Enoch Pratt Free Library as a world-renowned institution. I look forward to working with the dedicated staff of the Library of Congress. I will be honored to build on the legacy and accomplishments of my predecessors in this position, to be part of a continuing movement to open the treasure chest that is the Library of Congress even further and to make it a place that can be found and used by everyone.”