BALTIMORE – Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden, the first woman and first African American to lead the national library, will address nearly 500 Notre Dame of Maryland University graduates at the 2024 Commencement on Wednesday, May 22, which begins at 10:30 a.m. at the Baltimore Convention Center. Dr. Hayden will also receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Notre Dame.
Following President Obama’s nomination and the U.S. Senate’s confirmation, Dr. Hayden was sworn in as the 14th Librarian of Congress in 2016. She leads the world’s largest library and home to America’s national treasures, with a collection of millions of books, videos, audio recordings, photographs, and more.
Her vision is to connect all Americans to the national library. In redefining and modernizing the Library’s mission, Dr. Hayden has prioritized making the Library’s exceptional collections more publicly accessible. Through her social media presence, events and activities, she introduces new audiences to the Library’s gems – from Frederick Douglass’ papers, to the contents of President Abraham Lincoln’s pockets on the night of his assassination, to James Madison’s crystal flute made famous by Lizzo. Through investments in technology and digitization, she enables more Americans to explore the nation’s stories and rich history maintained by the Library of Congress.
Before becoming Librarian of Congress, Dr. Hayden served as CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore from 1993 to 2016. She made history in 1995 as the first African American to win Library Journal’s Librarian of the Year Award, honoring her outreach services at the Pratt Library. In 2015, she gained national attention in the wake of riots after the death of Freddie Gray, when she kept libraries open through the city to continue service and provide safe havens.
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best "Regional Universities North" by U.S. News & World Report.
Julia Campagna, director of mission and ministry at NDMU, discusses both the history of All Saints' Day and how the holiday is recognized on campus in this USA TODAY feature article.