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Librarian of Congress

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Librarian of Congress
Seal of the Library of Congress
Flag of the Library of Congress
Incumbent
Disputed[a]
Robert Newlen (acting)
since May 8, 2025
Todd Blanche (acting)
since May 12, 2025
Library of Congress
AppointerPresident of the United States
with Senate advice and consent
Term lengthTen years
Inaugural holderJohn J. Beckley
Formation1800
DeputyDisputed
Vacant (since May 8, 2025)
Brian Nieves (acting) (since May 12, 2025)[1]
SalaryUS$203,700
Level II of the Executive Schedule[2]
Websiteloc.gov/librarianoffice/

The librarian of Congress is the head of the Library of Congress. They are picked by the president of the United States with the advice and consent of the United States Senate.[3] Their term is ten years long.[4] The librarian of Congress also appoints and is in charge the Register of Copyrights of the U.S. Copyright Office.[5][6]

The librarian appoints the U.S. poet laureate and awards the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

List of librarians of Congress

[change | change source]

The following persons have served as the librarian of Congress:[7]

  Denotes acting capacity.
No. Image Librarian Start End Notes Nominated by
1 John Beckley January 26, 1802 April 8, 1807 [8] Thomas Jefferson
2 Patrick Magruder November 6, 1807 January 28, 1815 [9]
3 George Watterston March 21, 1815 May 28, 1829 [10] James Madison
4 John Meehan May 28, 1829 May 23, 1861 [11] Andrew Jackson
5 John Stephenson May 24, 1861 December 31, 1864 [12] Abraham Lincoln
6 Ainsworth Spofford December 31, 1864 June 30, 1897 [13]
7 John Young July 1, 1897 January 17, 1899 [14] William McKinley
Acting Ainsworth Spofford January 18, 1899 December 11, 1899 [15]
8 Herbert Putnam December 12, 1899 October 1, 1939 [16] William McKinley
9 Archibald MacLeish October 2, 1939 December 19, 1944 [17] Franklin D. Roosevelt
acting Luther Evans December 19, 1944 June 29, 1945 [18][19] Harry S. Truman
10 June 30, 1945 July 5, 1953
Acting Verner Clapp July 6, 1953 August 30, 1954 [20]
11 Quincy Mumford September 1, 1954 December 31, 1974 [21][22] Dwight D. Eisenhower
Acting John Lorenz January 1, 1975 November 11, 1975 [23]
12 Daniel Boorstin November 12, 1975 June 15, 1987 [24][25] Gerald Ford
13 James Billington September 14, 1987 September 30, 2015 [26][27] Ronald Reagan
Acting David Mao October 1, 2015 September 13, 2016 [28]
14 Carla Hayden September 14, 2016 May 8, 2025 [29][30] Barack Obama
Acting
Disputed[a]		 Robert Newlen May 8, 2025 present [32][33][31]
Acting
Disputed[a]		 Todd Blanche May 12, 2025 present [32][33][34][35][31]
  1. 1 2 3 Since Hayden's dismissal by Donald Trump, the role of acting librarian has been disputed between the principal deputy, Newlen, and Trump's named appointee, Blanche.[31]

References

[change | change source]
  1. ↑ Maya C. Miller (May 12, 2025). "Trump Installs Top Justice Dept. Official at Library of Congress, Prompting a Standoff". The New York Times.
  2. ↑ "US Code, Title 2, Chapter 5, Section 136a–2: Librarian of Congress and Deputy Librarian of Congress; compensation". Cornell University: Legal Information Institute. 2014. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  3. ↑ "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. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  4. ↑ Roy, Blunt (2015-11-05). "S.2162 - 114th Congress (2015-2016): Librarian of Congress Succession Modernization Act of 2015". congress.gov. Retrieved 2015-11-11.
  5. ↑ "US Code, Title 17, Chapter 12, Section 1201 - Circumvention of copyright protection systems". Cornell University: Legal Information Institute. 2014. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Section 1201: Exemptions to Prohibition Against Circumvention of Technological Measures Protecting Copyrighted Works". U.S. Copyright Office. 2013. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Previous Librarians of Congress". Library of Congress.
  8. ↑ "John James Beckley (1757-1807)". Library of Congress.
  9. ↑ "Patrick Magruder (1768-1819)". Library of Congress.
  10. ↑ "George Watterston (1783-1854)". Library of Congress.
  11. ↑ "John Silva Meehan (1790-1863)". Library of Congress.
  12. ↑ "John G. Stephenson (1828-1883)". Library of Congress.
  13. ↑ "Ainsworth Rand Spofford (1825-1908)". Library of Congress.
  14. ↑ "John Russell Young (1840-1899)". Library of Congress.
  15. ↑ "John Russell Young and Herbert Putnam: 1897-1939". Library of Congress.
  16. ↑ "Herbert Putnam (1861-1955)". Library of Congress.
  17. ↑ "Archibald MacLeish (1892-1982)". Library of Congress.
  18. ↑ "Luther Evans (1902-1981)". Library of Congress.
  19. ↑ "Freedom's Fortress: The Library of Congress, 1939 to 1953". Library of Congress.
  20. ↑ "Verner Warner Clapp". Library of Congress Information Bulletin. 31 (25): 278. June 23, 1972.
  21. ↑ "Mumford Sworn In As Library's Head". The New York Times. September 2, 1954. p. 19.
  22. ↑ "Lawrence Quincy Mumford (1903-1982)". Library of Congress.
  23. ↑ D'Allesandro, Edward A. (1999). "Chapter 28. I Become a Virginian, a Beltway Commuter and Special Assistant in the Reference Department of the Library of Congress". My Father Was a Tailor.
  24. ↑ Suplee, Curt (December 10, 1986). "Boorstin to Leave Library". The Washington Post.
  25. ↑ "Daniel J. Boorstin (1914-2004)". Library of Congress.
  26. ↑ "James H. Billington (1929-2018)". Library of Congress.
  27. ↑ "Billington to Retire September 30". Library of Congress. September 24, 2015.
  28. ↑ "An interview with David Mao". American Libraries. October 13, 2015.
  29. ↑ Limbong, Andrew (September 14, 2016). "First Woman And African-American Sworn In As Librarian Of Congress". All Things Considered. NPR.
  30. ↑ "President Trump fires Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden". NPR. May 9, 2025.
  31. 1 2 3 Gerstein, Josh; Tully-McManus, Katherine (May 12, 2025). "The Leadership of the Library of Congress Is in Apparent Dispute". Politico. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
  32. 1 2 Italie, Hillel; MIN KIM, SEUNG (May 12, 2025). "Deputy attorney general who defended Trump in hush money trial is named acting librarian of Congress". AP News. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
  33. 1 2 Jiang, Weijia; McFarlane, Scott; Kates, Graham. "Justice Department's Todd Blanche appointed acting Librarian of Congress". CBS News. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
  34. ↑ Ulaby, Neda (May 12, 2025). "The President has named a new Acting Librarian of Congress. It's his former defense lawyer". NPR. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
  35. ↑ "Deputy attorney general who defended Trump in hush money trial named acting Librarian of Congress". AP News. 2025-05-12. Retrieved 2025-05-12.
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