Former Librarian of Congress, fired by Trump, vows to improve public information in new Mellon role

Key Points

• Carla Hayden, the first woman and African American Librarian of Congress who was abruptly fired by President Trump, has joined the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation as a senior fellow advising on public knowledge through libraries and archives.
• In her year-long role, Hayden will work to strengthen the public knowledge ecosystem amid threats to the free exchange of ideas, including censorship efforts, federal funding cuts and rapid technological change.
• The Mellon Foundation has launched a $15 million emergency fund to offset a $65 million shortfall in state humanities council funding and has backed initiatives to counter book bans, boost adult literacy and increase scholarships for librarians of color.
• As Librarian of Congress, Hayden modernized the institution’s collections, expanded rural and online outreach, improved visitor accessibility and oversaw high-profile events like Lizzo’s 2022 performance on James Madison’s crystal flute.

NEW YORK (AP) — The former Librarian of Congress abruptly fired by President Donald Trump has found a new position with the country's largest philanthropic supporter of the arts.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation exclusively told The Associated Press that Carla Hayden will join the humanities grantmaker Monday as a senior fellow whose duties will include advising on efforts to advance public knowledge through libraries and archives.

The year-long post places Hayden back at the center of the very debates over American culture that surrounded her dismissal. The White House ousted Hayden, the first woman and the first African American to hold the title, after she was accused of promoting “radical” literary material by a conservative advocacy group seeking to squash Trump opposition within the federal government.

Hayden acknowledged existing threats to “the free exchange of ideas” in a statement to the AP.

“For generations, libraries, archives, and cultural institutions have been the guardians of knowledge and the catalysts for human progress,” she said. “Together, we will work to strengthen the public knowledge ecosystem and ensure that the transformative power of information remains accessible to all.”

Mellon's response to government funding cuts

Meanwhile, the Mellon Foundation has been working to fill fiscal holes for arts communities reeling from federal cuts. Its $15 million “emergency” fund aims to offset the $65 million that were supposed to go to the state humanities councils that organize book fairs, heritage festivals, theater productions and other programs fostering cultural engagement.

The foundation has previously supported the American Library Association's efforts to counter book bans, increase scholarships for librarians of color and boost adult literacy.

Mellon President Elizabeth Alexander said the foundation is thrilled to welcome Hayden, “a leader with an unshakable regard for the public good of the American people,” during such a “crucial time.” Public knowledge institutions are navigating “historic challenges and transformative advances," according to Mellon, including artificial intelligence, digital technologies, federal funding withdrawals and censorship efforts.

Who is the Librarian of Congress and what is the job?

The library's interim leadership is a point of dispute. Trump appointed Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who represented the president during his 2024 criminal trial, as acting librarian. But staff, awaiting congressional approval of Trump's permanent pick, have recognized Robert Newlen, who assumed the title upon Hayden's ouster.

The role 's responsibilities range from looking after collections to selecting the country’s poet laureate to awarding the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song and the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. The library also manages the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.

Librarians serve 10-year terms, and Hayden’s was scheduled to end in 2026. Her tenure included modernizing its reservoir of the nation's books and history. She oversaw new initiatives reaching out to rural and online audiences. Recent campaigns sought to improve accessibility for everyday visitors. And she arranged for Lizzo's 2022 performance where the artist played a crystal flute owned by President James Madison — among the Library's troves of artifacts.

Before her confirmation in 2016, Hayden spent more than two decades as CEO of Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Free Library system and was president of the American Library Association from 2003 to 2004. A graduate of Roosevelt University and the University of Chicago, she is a member of the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

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