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{{Short description|Head of the Library of Congress}}{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2020}}

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Executive Schedule#Level II>Level II of the Executive ScheduleHTTPS://WWW.LAW.CORNELL.EDU/USCODE/TEXT/2/136A-2 >TITLE=US CODE, TITLE 2, CHAPTER 5, SECTION 136A–2: LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS AND DEPUTY LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS; COMPENSATION YEAR=2014, February 14, 2014, www.loc.gov/about/librarianoffice/|loc.gov/librarianoffice/}}United States Senate>Senate advice and consent| imagecaption = Official portrait, 2020 (Cropped)}}The librarian of Congress is the head of the Library of Congress, appointed by the president of the United States with the advice and consent of the United States Senate,WEB,weblink US Code, Title 2, Chapter 5, Section 136-1 – Appointment and term of service of Librarian of Congress, Cornell University: Legal Information Institute, November 5, 2015, March 17, 2016, for a term of ten years.WEB, Blunt, Roy, S.2162 - 114th Congress (2015-2016): Librarian of Congress Succession Modernization Act of 2015,weblink congress.gov, 2015-11-05, 2015-11-11, The librarian of Congress also appoints and oversees the Register of Copyrights of the U.S. Copyright Office and has broad responsibilities around copyright, extending to electronic resources and fair use provisions outlined in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The librarian determines whether particular works are subject to DMCA prohibitions regarding technological access protection.WEB,weblink US Code, Title 17, Chapter 12, Section 1201 - Circumvention of copyright protection systems, Cornell University: Legal Information Institute, 2014, February 14, 2014, WEB,weblink Section 1201: Exemptions to Prohibition Against Circumvention of Technological Measures Protecting Copyrighted Works, U.S. Copyright Office, 2013, February 14, 2014, In addition, the librarian appoints the U.S. poet laureate and awards the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.On July 13, 2016, the US Senate confirmed President Barack Obama's nomination of Carla Hayden as the librarian,NEWS, Peggy McGlone, July 13, 2016, Carla Hayden confirmed as 14th librarian of Congress, The Washington Post,weblink and she was sworn in on September 14, 2016.

Origin and History

On April 24, 1800, the 6th United States Congress passed an appropriations bill signed by President John Adams which created the Library of Congress.WEB,weblink History of the Library of Congress, loc.gov, Library of Congress, March 19, 2016, This law was to serve a "further provision for the removal and accommodation of the Government of the United States". The fifth section of the act specifically created the Library of Congress and designated some of its early capabilities. The act provided for "the acquisition of books for congressional use, a suitable place in the Capitol in which to house them, a joint committee to make rules for their selection, acquisition, and circulation", as well as an appropriation of $5,000 for the new library.BOOK, Librarians of Congress, 1802-1974, Library of Congress, 1977, 0844402389, Washington, vii, registration,weblink In 1802, two years after the creation of the library, President Thomas Jefferson approved a congressional act that created the Office of the Librarian and granted the president power of appointment over the new office.WEB,weblink The Library of Congress a Documentary History, 1987, academic.lexisnexis.com, Lexis Nexis, March 19, 2016, Shortly thereafter, Jefferson appointed his former campaign manager John J. Beckley to serve as the first librarian of Congress.WEB,weblink Librarians of Congress, American Libraries Magazine, March 19, 2016, He was paid $2 a day and was also required to serve as clerk to the House of Representatives.BOOK, Murray, Stuart, The Library: An Illustrated History, New York, Skyhorse Pub, 2009, . Chicago :ALA Editions, 2009., {{page needed|date=November 2020}} It was not until 1897 that Congress was given the power to confirm the president's nominee.WEB, Librarians of Congress, Jefferson's Legacy: A Brief History of the Library of Congress, March 30, 2006,weblink Library of Congress, March 15, 2020, This same law gave the librarian the sole power for making the institution's rules and appointing the library's staff.Up until the nomination of Herbert Putnam in 1899 under President McKinley, all previous librarians lacked any prior experience in the profession of librarianship; these librarians had held roles in journalism, law, writing, publishing, and politics.WEB,weblink Jefferson's Legacy: A Brief History of the Library of Congress -- LIBRARIANS OF CONGRESS, Library of Congress, Even to this day, only three librarians – four including acting librarian David S. Mao in 2015 – have worked in the librarian field, despite several instances of opposition from the American Library Association.

Appointment, term length, and salary

From its creation until 2015, the post of the librarian was not subject to term limits and allowed incumbents to maintain a lifetime appointment once confirmed.NEWS, Recio, Maria, October 31, 2015, Librarian of Congress Gets a Due Date, McClatchy DC,weblink March 19, 2016, Most librarians of Congress have served until death or retirement. There were only 13 librarians of Congress in the more than two centuries from 1802 to 2015, and the library "enjoyed a continuity of atmosphere and of policy that is rare in national institutions".BOOK, Librarians of Congress: 1802-1974, Library of Congress, 1977, Washington, In 2015, Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed into law the "Librarian of Congress Succession Modernization Act of 2015",{{USPL|114|86}} which put a 10-year term limit on the position with an option for reappointment.Congressional Bill; 114 Bill Profile S.2162- An Act To establish a 10-year term for the service of the Librarian of Congress. Sponsor: Roy Blunt and Charles Schumer. November 5, 2015. Public law 114-86.WEB, November 5, 2015, Public Law 114-86,weblink March 19, 2016, Congress.gov, The legislation was seen as a critique of Librarian James H. Billington's unwillingness to hire a permanent chief information officer to effectively manage and update the library's information technology.NEWS, McGlone, Peggy, March 31, 2015, America's 'national library' is lacking in leadership, yet another report finds, The Washington Post,weblink March 19, 2016, According to Section 136-1 of Title 2 of the U.S.C., the Librarian of Congress shall be appointed to office by a nomination from the president and the advice and consent of the Senate. The librarian may then serve for a term of 10 years and be reappointed to the post with the same procedure. The Librarian of Congress shall be compensated for his/her services with the equivalent of the rate of pay set by Level II of the Executive Schedule.

Authority and duties

There are no laws or regulations delineating qualifications for the office holder. The position of librarian of Congress has been held by candidates of different backgrounds, interests, and talents, throughout its history. Politicians, businessmen, authors, poets, lawyers, and professional librarians have served as the Librarian of Congress. However, at various times there have been proposals for requirements for the position. In 1945, Carl Vitz, then president of the American Library Association, wrote a letter to the president of the United States regarding the position of librarian of Congress, which had recently become vacant. Vitz felt it necessary to recommend potential librarians. Vitz stated the position "requires a top-flight administrator, a statesman-like leader in the world of knowledge, and an expert in bringing together the materials of scholarship and organizing them for use—in short, a distinguished librarian".MAGAZINE, Vitz, Carl, 1945, Re: Librarian of Congress, ALA Bulletin, 39, 2, 62, In 1989, Congressman Major Owens (D–NY) introduced a bill to set stricter requirements for who may be appointed. He argued appointed librarians need to have specialized training; the bill did not become law.Congressional Bill; 101 Bill Profile H.R. 1255- Appointment of the Librarian of Congress. Sponsor: Major Owens (D- NY). March 2, 1989, Congress Session 101-1.

List of librarians of Congress{| class"wikitable sortable" style"text-align:center;"

! {{Abbr|No.|Number}}! colspan=2 | Librarian! Years in Office! Appointed by| 1 (File:Seal of the United States Library of Congress.svg|125px)| John J. Beckley| 1802–1807 Thomas Jefferson| 2 (File:Patrick Magruder.tifPatrick Magruder)| Patrick Magruder| 1807–1815| 3 (File:George watterson.jpgGeorge Watterston)| George Watterston| 1815–1829 James Madison| 4 (File:Silva meehan.jpgJohn Silva Meehan)| John Silva Meehan| 1829–1861 Andrew Jackson| 5 (File:John g stephenson.jpgJohn Gould Stephenson)| John Gould Stephenson| 1861–1864 Abraham Lincoln| 6 (File:Ainsworth Rand Spofford - Brady-Handy.jpgAinsworth Rand Spofford)| Ainsworth Rand Spofford| 1864–1897| 7 (File:John Russell Young.jpgJohn Russell Young)| John Russell Young| 1897–1899 William McKinley| 8 (File:Herbert putnam.jpgHerbert Putnam)| Herbert Putnam| 1899–1939| 9 (File:Archibald MacLeish.jpgArchibald MacLeish)| Archibald MacLeish| 1939–1944 Franklin D. Roosevelt| 10 (File:Luther Harris Evans, Diretor-geral da United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).tifLuther H. Evans)| Luther H. Evans| 1945–1953 Harry S. Truman| 11 (File:Lawrence Quincy Mumford.jpgLawrence Quincy Mumford)| Lawrence Quincy Mumford| 1954–1974 Dwight D. Eisenhower| 12 (File:Daniel Boorstin.jpgDaniel J. Boorstin)| Daniel J. Boorstin| 1975–1987 Gerald Ford| 13 (File:James Billington 2000.jpgJames H. Billington)| James H. Billington| 1987–2015 Ronald Reagan| 14 (File:Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, 2020 Official Portrait (50298151842) (cropped).jpgCarla Hayden)| Carla Hayden| 2016–present Barack Obama

Timeline of librarians of Congress

{{if mobile|tag=div||{{Horizontal timeline|from=1802|to={{currentyear}}|inc=10|axis-nudge=-0.5em|border=2px solid #FF0000|styleDefault-height=1.5em|styleDefault-1-border=none;text-align:right|styleDefault-1-texttop=0em;right:0.5em;|styleDefault-3-border=none;text-align:left|styleDefault-3-texttop=0em;left:0.5em;|styleDefault-5-border=none;text-align:left|styleDefault-5-texttop=0em;left:0.5em;|styleLibrarianCongress-boxcolor=#3030FF|row1=timeline|row1-style=styleDefault|row1-1-to=1802|row1-2-to=1807|row1-2-style=styleLibrarianCongressJohn J. Beckley>Beckley (1802–07)|row2=timeline|row2-style=styleDefault|row2-1-to=1807|row2-2-to=1815|row2-2-style=styleLibrarianCongressPatrick Magruder>Magruder (1807–15)|row3=timeline|row3-style=styleDefault|row3-1-to=1815|row3-2-to=1829|row3-2-style=styleLibrarianCongressGeorge Watterston>Watterston (1815–29)|row4=timeline|row4-style=styleDefault|row4-1-to=1829|row4-2-to=1861|row4-2-style=styleLibrarianCongressWhitewhiteMeehan}} (1829–61)}}|row5=timeline|row5-style=styleDefault|row5-1-to=1861|row5-2-to=1864|row5-2-style=styleLibrarianCongressJohn Gould Stephenson>Stephenson (1861–64)|row6=timeline|row6-style=styleDefault|row6-1-to=1864|row6-2-to=1897|row6-2-style=styleLibrarianCongresswhitewhiteSpofford}} (1864–97)}}|row7=timeline|row7-style=styleDefault|row7-1-to=1897|row7-2-to=1899|row7-2-style=styleLibrarianCongressJohn Russell Young>Young (1897–99)|row8=timeline|row8-style=styleDefault|row8-1-to=1899|row8-2-to=1939|row8-2-style=styleLibrarianCongresswhitewhitePutnam}} (1899–1939)}}|row9=timeline|row9-style=styleDefault|row9-1-to=1939|row9-2-to=1945|row9-2-style=styleLibrarianCongressArchibald MacLeish>MacLeish (1939–44)|row10=timeline|row10-style=styleDefault|row10-1-to=1945|row10-2-to=1954|row10-2-style=styleLibrarianCongressLuther H. Evans>Evans (1945–53)|row11=timeline|row11-style=styleDefault|row11-1-to=1954|row11-2-to=1974|row11-2-style=styleLibrarianCongressLawrence Quincy Mumford>Mumford (1954–74)|row12=timeline|row12-style=styleDefault|row12-1-to=1975|row12-2-to=1987|row12-2-style=styleLibrarianCongressDaniel J. Boorstin>Boorstin (1975–87)|row13=timeline|row13-style=styleDefault|row13-1-to=1987|row13-2-to=2015|row13-2-style=styleLibrarianCongresswhitewhiteBillington}} (1987–2015)}}|row14=timeline|row14-style=styleDefault|row14-1-to=2015David S. Mao>Mao* (2015–16)|row14-2-to=2016|row14-2-style=styleLibrarianCongress|row15=timeline|row15-style=styleDefault|row15-1-to=2016Carla Hayden>Hayden (2016–)|row15-2-to={{currentyear}}|row15-2-style=styleLibrarianCongress|row49=scale|caption=Librarians of Congress (1802–present)Acting librarian*}}}}

See also

• List of librarians
• Parliamentary Librarian of Canada

References

{{Reflist}}

Further reading

• NEWS, Hiring: The First Librarian of Congress for the Internet Age, June 2015,weblink The Atlantic,
• NEWS, The New York Times, Many Choices for Obama in Replacing Billington at Library of Congress,weblink June 2015,
• NEWS,weblink June 2015, Alan S. Inouye, Who Should Be the Next Librarian of Congress? Wrong Question!, Roll Call,
• NEWS, Jessamyn West, Jessamyn West (librarian),weblink The Next Librarian of Congress, The Message, Medium (website), Medium, July 2015,
• WEB, July 2015, Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly,weblink Could the Nomination of the Next Librarian of Congress Spark a Political Battle?,

{{Librarians of Congress}}{{Authority control}}