You may know Carla Hayden is the first woman and the first African-American to become the Librarian of Congress, but she is also one of only three professional librarians to ever fill that role. Before she was working diligently to modernize the nation’s greatest library, Dr. Hayden led Baltimore’s Pratt Library system for over 10 years. In that post she placed an emphasis on public Internet access and launched an e-reader program to help bridge the city’s digital divide. During the Freddie Gray protests, when schools were closed and residents needed a safe haven, Hayden kept the library doors open and personally staffed a branch located in the neighborhood hit hardest.
