Today, President Barack Obama announced that he would nominate Dr. Carla Hayden, CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland, as the next Librarian of Congress. As the head of the world’s largest library, the Librarian of Congress leads by example on issues affecting public access to knowledge and information. Public Knowledge commends President Obama for his choice and welcomes the opportunity to work with Dr. Hayden on intellectual property and technology policy.

The following can be attributed to Raza Panjwani, Policy Counsel at Public Knowledge:

“We are pleased that the President has nominated a Librarian for the 21st century. Dr. Hayden’s track record of advancing the public interest speaks for itself: from protecting privacy and ending the digital divide to advocating for the public’s right to access information, Dr. Hayden has consistently exhibited just the sort of priorities we would expect of the head of an institution that should be more than just a repository of culture and knowledge, but a pioneer in enabling access to these treasures.

“Libraries serve as bulwarks of community throughout America, and the Library of Congress is America’s library. It should be a global leader in promoting the values of access, innovation, freedom of speech, and serving the public’s interest. We look forward to working with Dr. Hayden in her new role should she be confirmed.”