Sell on cable tv this production they came up with called hillary the movie, about hillary clinton. And the Bipartisan Campaign reform act said that because Citizens United was a Nonprofit Corporation, they were limited in how much they could spend in the days leading up to an election. And and so, basically, this group i sued and said youre discriminating against us. Were not able to offer our message because of the Bipartisan Campaign reform act. Now, the court ruled in their favor by a 54 decision. And it was a very close decision and, obviously, hugely controversial. But one of the things that the justices in the majority said is that you cant discriminate against the viewpoint of a Nonprofit Corporation in this sense, you cant reticket them from getting restrict them from getting their message out. However, the justices in the dissent said that, you know, we put these type of restrictions in effect before going back all the way to buckley v. Vallejo. Its not that were keeping either nonprofit or any corporations from participating in politics, its just that if theyre going to do it, they need to do it through a political a action committee. And so for the dissenting justices, they felt that even within the framework of content neutrality, that the Bipartisan Campaign reform act was narrowly today houred to prevent tailored to prevent corruption and to prevent that distortion of the marketplace of ideas without restricting too much expression because corporations still had that outlet of going through Political Action committees to get involved. Its definitely the case that the Supreme Court is always going to take some tough cases, right . The easy cases dont need to go to the Supreme Court. And so what we tend to see is the court taking some very cuttingedging type of issues, right . Cuttingedge type of issues. What about lying about military honors, what about freedom of expression on internet, different areas like that where theyre continually forced to kind of evolve and apply their doctrines and their jurisprudence to new areas. And so overall, i would say today there is a pretty strong embrace of this framework of content neutrality but, again, content neutrality is not a straitjacket. Its just a framework, and different judges and Supreme Court justices can apply it differently and sometimes come to different conclusions in part, again, because they are motivated by their political values or their attitudes. For more information on booktvs recent visit to grand rapids and the many ore destinations many other destinations on our cities tour, go to cspan. Org citiestour. This week carla hayden was sworn in as the 14th librarian of congress. Shes the first woman and the first africanamerican to hold the position. [applause] in 1815 as senator blount just mentioned, Thomas Jefferson sold most of his library to congress, partly because he was a patriot, but mostly because he was broke. [laughter] the british had burned the original library of congress when they invaded washington the year before, and though a later fire destroyed most of jeffersons books, we still have some of them. They make up the heart of the library that we have here today. Jefferson, as you know, was a very, very unique man. Other people arranged their books alphabetically or by size. He divided his library into three sections that corresponded with the three main faculties of the mind; memory, reason and imagination. And when you stop to think about it, those are the very same qualities that define dr. Hayden. First, as a librarian herself she has the institutional memory necessary to run the Largest Library in the world. Thats a long way of saying shes a pro. [laughter] she knows what shes doing. Second, she understands the need to bring the library into the digital age. We have millions of documents that almost nobody knows a thing about. It would be a shame if they were lost to the world out of mere inconvenience. But its that third quality, imagination. Thats what i think is so important. We all think of america as this great land of promise, the place where people from all walks of life can get their start whether theyre farming the frontier or working in a factory. But the Public Library itself is the icon of opportunity. Its a safe haven where people can go to learn and to feed their everhungry imagination. I think of the writer James Baldwin. James baldwin, as a young man, would go the to the library and read every book he could get his hands on. When he was done, hed bring books home with him, and there hed be, holding a younger sibling in one arm and a book in the other. What would have happened to James Baldwin if there had been no Public Library . A great mind would have been starved of its essential material. Nobody knows this better than dr. Hayden. She was widely praised for keeping open her library during baltimores unrest last year. But for her, it was the only real choice, the obvious thing to do. And she really seems to come from really sturdy stock. One day when her 82yearold mom, when she told her mom that she was heading to the library which was right in the middle of all this chaos, all this trouble, her mother replied, oh, make sure you have some coffee. [laughter] our next librarian is an accomplished woman, and i have every confidence that she is going to make us all very, very proud. Jefferson once said i cannot live without books. Neither can we. The library of congress is our national treasure, and with dr. Hayden at the helm, i know it is in excellent hands. Congratulations. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the chief justice of the united states, the honorable john roberts, to administer the oath of office. Please also welcome dr. Haydens mother, mrs. Colleen hayden. [applause] please raise your right hand and repeat after me. I, carla hayden, do solemnly swear. I, carla hayden, do solemnly swear that i will support and defend the constitution of the united states. That i will support and defend the constitution of the united states. Against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Against all enemies, foreign and domestic. That i will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. That i will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. That i take this obligation freely that i take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. Without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. And that i will well and faithfully discharge and that i will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which i am about to enter. The duties of the office about which i am about to enter. So help me god. So help me god. [laughter] [applause] [cheers and applause] recently, booktv sat down with the new librarian of congress, carla hayden, to talk about her life, career and her vision for the library. Cspan dr. Carla hayden, can you remember the first moment that you were asked about being the librarian of congress . Guest i can remember that moment because i was surprised. I had been advising and consulting because this was an opportunity for the Library Community to weigh in, basically, on what would be needed for the library of Congress Going into the next few decades. So my name was put forward as a person that they should talk to. And that went on for a little while, and then i was asked would you consider being considered for the position yourself . And it took me back a little bit. And i had to then think about what i was currently doing. Really Public Service in a state that had the Public Library be the state library cspan baltimore. Guest baltimore and maryland. So this was a situation, and i had become a baltimorean and was really working on so many issues, and i had to think how can i go from serving a community to serving the country . And what contribution could i make. And cspan why did you say yes . Guest because when i really thought about the treasures and whats contained in the library of congress and what i had been privy to as a librarian and what i knew was contained here and how excited i always am when i love history. And so to be able to share that with more people, was really turning point for me that its not just administering and doing something for the worlds Largest Library, but its an opportunity to make that library everyones library. And thats, that service at the, i think, highest level. And, in fact, thats how the opportunity was presented to me, would you serve as the next librarian of congress. And thats when it all came together for me. Cspan so when you first came to the library as the nominee, did you say to somebody here i want to see that . [laughter] and what was it, if you did. Guest i wanted to see Abraham Lincolns life mask. I had seen it years before, and i was mistakenly telling people all those years that i had seen his death mask. All right . [laughter] and then i found out, no to, it wasnt. He it was actually a rendering that he had four months before he was assassinated, and it was a life mask. And so i wanted to see that item again with the understanding that when that mask was cast, he was alive. And that was a moment. Because my familys from illinois, i have a couple of personal book shelves on lincoln [laughter] and i grew up with lincoln lore. My family is bury in the same cemetery that lincoln is buried in in springfield, and so that really resonated with me. Cspan whats the thing you like most about Abraham Lincoln . Guest his integrity and his struggle to and i loved reading more about, because the fact that he didnt come to some of these things that we admire so much about him now as easily as we thought. That he had difficulties in his personal life. I mentioned springfield. We visited lincolns home on a regular basis, and so to think about what was going on in that home and what he he lost a child and all of these things, that there was a human behind this person that did so much. And i think thats what draws a lot of people to lincoln and what he accomplished. Cspan there is a book in your past called bright april. Guest yes. Cspan what was the book and what year did you read it . Guest you notice that when you even mention the title, i said, ah. That, i was about and now this is where i talk about my age [laughter] cspan you dont have to give that away. Guest oh, but i was about 7 or 8, and so that was about 1961 or so, and i went to Grammar School in jamaica queens, and right across the street was a storefront library. And i cant remember if a librarian gave me the book or anything like that, but i just know that somehow this book, bright april by marguerite deangeli, was put in my hands. And be it featured a little africanamerican girl who was a brownie. And at that time i was a brownie. She had two pigtails, and the beautiful water color pictures and illustrations showed a loving family, there was a piano in the living room, there was a thanksgiving dinner, all of these things that just spoke to me as a child. To see myself reflected in a book and i thought i looked like her. Now that i look at the book, she was a little prettier [laughter] but it just meant so much to see what i thought reflected and later when i started as a childrens librarian, i thought about and worked with and we still are working on diversity in childrens books that children need books to have windows on the world, and we all talk about that a lot, to let them see something else. But they also need to see it needs to be a mirror. They need to see themselves. If we want them to think that books are important and books hold knowledge, if you dont see yourself in this important thing, what is that telling you . Cspan how did you were born in tallahassee . Guest yes. Cspan lived in queens guest yes. Cspan grew up in the chicago area . Guest yes. Cspan how did all that happen . Guest well, its interesting. I think we talked about my parents being musicians, and so my father was the, he started the String Department at florida a m university, and thats in tallahassee, florida. So i was born there. And then when i was about 5 or so, he always liked he played classical music, but he liked jazz too. And there was i love jazz, so classical by day and jazz by night. And he connected with another musician in a musical family, the atterly family. He was down in tallahassee too. So off they go to new york with my mom, whos this classically trained pianist, and me. And the next thing you know, im at birdland sitting on a, the stool in the front having shirley temples while miles davis and the group were will. And that was were there. And that was quite an experience. But my parents divorced when i was 10. I think my mom that was just a little too much. [laughter] so then we moved back to illinois. Cspan by the way, your moms very much with us guest yes. Cspan i want to know what she said to you when you called her and said im going to be the librarian of congress. Guest the first thing she said was your grandmother was right. My grandmother always said as i progressed in the career of librarianship, i never thought being a librarian would lead to this. My nickname was squirrel. [laughter] i liked books b i she never good, shes going to be a librarian. She has no musical talent. [laughter] thats good. But she was still amazed. And be to think that and to think that my love of books and all of this turned into something, that required her to hold the lincoln bible and have me sworn in was something. Cspan now that you brought it up, its sitting right there on the table, lincoln bible. Guest still gives me chills. And, in fact, my mother was very nervous about holding the lincoln bible. It symbolizes so much to not only our family, but just what it meant. She was very nervous about that because youre touching history. And this is something that touched a person used that you respect so much, and that connect and i have to say thats something that i hope that in my tenure ill be able to do even more of, to connect people with history, to touch history, digitally and to make sure that they understand that these were real people. Cspan how much do you read . Guest probably a little too much because i have matured. My eyesight has matured. [laughter] so i require stronger lenses. And im a reader that will read just about anything that has text, a cereal box [laughter] a sign or Something Like that. I connect it, and it took me years to the really realize that i was, i connected with text same way my parents connected with notes, with notation. And one day i said, wow, they can look at notes and hear music, and i can look at text and hear words. And its almost the same thing. Cspan where do you read . Guest i well, i just now have a balcony where i can sit out, and i found a reading spot and a chair, and i read in bed, and i can read at a table or, but so usually i can tell when im very tired, if i cant read in bed. Thats the signal. Cspan now, when folks found out that i was going to be talking with you, i think three people three different people, for whatever reason, want to know are you going to continue to live in baltimore and commute to washington. Guest yes. Cspan how big a deal is that . Thats, what, how big a commute is that . Guest its 35 miles. And i think because im from the midwest, mileage is viewed in a different way. You have to go 35 miles to go from one end of chicago to the other end, and in the southern parts of illinois, going from danville to champagne to do something is not unusual. So i think thats so i will stay in baltimore because baltimore has really become home. Cspan how many years . Guest ive been there now 23 years, and my mother has moved from illinois to baltimore. Sometimes i joke its a place where Everybody Knows your name, and im looking forward to being a civilian in baltimore. But its a city that really grabs you. Its a city with so many characters. Ann tyler was there when you read about, when you read her books, you get a sense of don waters. Theres so many characters there because it nurtures creativity and caring, i think. Cspan if you have to make a choice, would you rather read fiction or nonfiction . Guest oh, now, thats a hard choice. However, i would go for nonfiction. I love history. Now, i can read wolf hall and all those things because anne boleyn and all that, but id really like to read things like the queens bed which is about, its about Queen Elizabeth i and all the intrigue around that. So history can sometimes be more exciting, i think, than fiction. Cspan over time whats been a couple of books in the history, nonfiction category that you really liked . Guest doris kerns goodwins no ordinary time. I really connect with eleanor roosevelt. I went to Roosevelt University, the only school that was founded by eleanor roosevelt, Public Service, all of that cspan in chicago. Guest in chicago. And so to read doris kearns with history, its like reading fiction. And thats the best type of history writing sometimes. And so that book i heard her speak at the library, got the book, read it that night, and i could hear her speaking. Cspan all about fdr in the white house. Guest fdr in the white house, it made you want to know which room was where and all this, and it just was, wow. Cspan when did you first meet michelle and barack obama . Guest in chicago. I was working at, i had left the university of pittsburgh, i was teaching, and there have been certain points in my life where ive had to make decisions about do i continue in the academic and then go back to Public Service and that, so this was one of those times. And i had arrived back in chicago from pittsburgh to be the deputy commissioner, chief librarian of the chicago Public Library where i started. And the first lady was Michelle Robinson then working with the city administration. And so thats when i met her and then, later, her fiance. And so that was something years later, to meet in a professional setting in different roles. Cspan how important do you think that connection way back then in chicago head to your choice as the librarian . Guest im not sure if it led to the choice. I think it made, it was probably one of the most ironic things [laughter] to have a name put forward from a search that you say carla, yeah, shes still a librarian, isnt she . [laughter] so, but i had been part of a board, the institute, the museum of library services. So my name has been part of the professional Library Setting cspan you say you went to Roosevelt University in chicago, you got an m. A. And a ph. D. At university of chicago guest yes. Library school. Cspan what was your dissertation about . Guest it was about serving young people in museums. I was working at the museum of science and industry in chicago, and i was working to open the first Public Service library in a Science Museum in the country. And that was really interesting because most Museum Libraries arent open to the public. Theyre for the curators and the educators, and here youre going to, you know, open up a library. It wasnt a lending library, but youre going to let these visitors come in, and what were they going to do. So that got me really interested in not only special libraries, but also museums. And so i took some courses and things and really started visiting museums. Basically, what i was saying at that time in the 80s is that libraries, Public Libraries in particular, needed to use some of the methods that museums use to engage young people; the boston childrens museum, all of these museums. And now you can go into Public Libraries all over the country and see play areas and see not just books, but things as well. Cspan all right. A baltimore resident said to me this day when i said i was coming over to interview you, she was terrific in baltimore with doing the kind of things youre just talking about there, the community stuff. Trying to movie night. Theres a fundraiser, i guess, black and white every year . Guest ah, young people dancing and themerelated in the library and connecting books and beer and all of that. Yes, its quite something. Cspan so when you went to baltimore 23 years ago, e knock Pratt Library, what is it, how many different branches, what did you do there that you were the most proud of . Guest in Library School we studied the enoch pratt be free library. It was an Innovative Library for years starting with mr. Pratt. When he established it, he was a philanthropist business person in baltimore at a time when the city was growing, and he picked the free library to fund. And he said my Library Shall be for all, rich or poor, without distinction of race or color. And that was in the 1886 in a city that had racial challenges. And so when i had the opportunity to go to the Pratt Library, i didnt know as much as baltimore, but i knew the Pratt Library. So then i learned baltimore then. So there are now 21 branches, and everywhere i would go in baltimore people would have a Pratt Library story. People from all walks of life. Theyd name their branch. And so what im most pleased about is that over the time ive been there weve revitalized those branch libraries, and we actually constructed the first new library in that city in 35 years. Thats a lifetime. And we even had all of the senior Staff Members bring in a photograph of themselves at either 510 years old, and we made a poster so that when we meet, wed say what would a child now say 35 years from now about what pratt stories are we making. And to make the library less intimidating especially for people with challenges with literacy. Its the last place you want to go if you cant read well is the library. That the publics perception. So perception. So bringing in others, bringing in popular programs, thats a way to start getting adults in and letting them know it is a safe place for you whatever level youre coming in at. Is you came into the library of congress, 3200 and hundred and place . S. 600 milliondollar budget . Yes. Whats the first thing you said, i want to change this. Guest it wasnt so much changing but keep it moving forward. There is a wonderful book, a management book that i think about often about change. When you are changing or helping something move called teaching the elephant to dance. Now i know there are some things we have to be careful but the sinking of a ship and how do you get it to move or be knebel and things like that. So i really am excited about working with the Staff Members at the library of congress. They are really in this crackerjack, dedicated and helping to be part of that. This library has changed in so many ways with time. Cspan do you come here under the new law that a library and can only serve for ten years the last library and jim served for almost 30 years. Good idea that they shorten it . Spee2 there have have been other librarians that have served even longer, 48 years i think was one. So different times in the librarys history, ten years have been longer or shorter, youve had lawyers, politicians, scholars, authors, along the way. I think at this point when there are so many opportunities but also challenges with technology, and things are moving so rapidly , to give an opportunity and say step back and say where are we in ten years or what you hope to have accomplished in ten years. That would be something. So i think it is healthy to look at an institution at different periods of time. Cspan how much was that today . Guest im not sure. That is what even though ive just been sworn in and im still investigating i want to really get in the weeds with that and look and also i know that there are a number of collections, for instance rosa parks collection was just digitized. To work with the staff and say how many things are available online. How many things are in the queue . Im pretty sure there are number things in a number of collections that are ready. To see if we can match some of those collections and those needs with the potential donors it would help with the process. Cspan this is a question for somebodys never been to the library of congress and does not have a clue as to what they can see or do. I know a fun thing that i got my First Library of congress card. Guest people dont know that. Cspan what would you suggest to someone who is intimidated by three big buildings. And when you think about this temple of knowledge and information, it looks like a massive tower of information and we encourage people to come in, thats actually something im going to be working on quite soon is to make sure the public knows that not only can they come in and see one of the only three copies of the gutenberg bible, they can see Thomas Jeffersons original library that help start a library of congress at a crucial time, to really reach out to the public and let them know that its difficult task to put it in one type of thing so well be really working to say when you walk into the library what can you do. There is a young reader center, you can go into that and if you have lot young people. You can go into the Music Department is the sheet sheet music from decades and hundreds of years ago. Now thats a challenge. I think we need librarians to say read more about it, i want the American Public in particular to know more about it, to know more. Its congresses. Its congresses library but its also americas library. To say somebody is watching this and i want them to be able to walk in somewhere in this Library System and say, doctor carla hayden told me to come here and ask you how to see what i want to see. Where would you send them . Guest the first thing a person should do is go up to a wonderful information desk and talk to the person who is there, and there will be a person there in the Jefferson Building they can also go into the Madison Building and there is an adams building. So you notice theres a theme with the president s. And they can say i am interested in those films, i am interested in bob hope. Im interested in this information you have about rosa parks. Im interested in finding out something about my familys history. I am visiting from iowa. And i understand that you have newspapers that go back, im trying to find my greatgrandfather. That when they go to that information theres a big sign, information thats where you go. That is your first point of contact. Then that person will tease out of you what you need and theyll make that connection to this vast resource that is here and even and other places. Cspan lets say they cant travel here but you have all this digitized already online, how do do you figure out what is there . Guest that is where the power of technology really helps. The librarys website should be able to direct you almost in the same way. So youre going to search, you, you will type in what you are looking for and you will get a response on the screen. Heres another of getting in the weeds, aspects that i am excited about, making, making sure that website is just as responsive almost as you talking to a person and getting that, people will will not get in the technology wilderness. At your confirmation hearing, the subject of the Congressional Research service came up and there seems to be a Quiet Movement afoot that the public ought to see the products that 700 people in the congressional resource members produce for members of congress. What you think . Have you . Have you studied that anymore since your confirmation . Guest is a library we have all know that the Congressional Research service and it is the library of congress thats how it started to serve congress it is like the special forces of the library. There are analysts, librarians, specialists in different areas that prepare research, nonpartisan research and analysis for the members of congress to inform their work. And the reports are available by request from a particular member, so if you know someone is working on something and i think that i have heard different aspects of how much of the information and when the information should be ready or available to the public so that is an area that i think is still being looked at as there is quite a bit of research that goes into forming a report. Cspan lets say a member of Congress Calls up the Research Services and said i need a report on the b52 bomber. What is your personal instinct, once that report was supplied to the members should that be in the Public Domain . Guest im not sure. And that, i am really going to be in the weeds with some of these aspects because that is a complex issue in terms of what was it prepared for . What is it informing, and i think working with congress on it because it is going to be a congressional decision to find out how the members are really looking at what the Congressional ResearchService Provides to them and i have already been in contact with some members about how do we look at this issue and really look at it in a way that will benefit congress and the people they serve. Cspan what is your sense of having talked to members of congress about the future of the budget for a place like this . Guest i must tell you that the most one of the most pleasant parts of the entire confirmation and nomination process has been meeting with members and really getting a sense of their sincere appreciation for the library of congress. A lot of them are interested in history, they can borrow books and they do. Theyre interested in the workings of a library and i think there is a lot of support for the library. Host is it enough support given this fiscal time that were in. Guest im hoping that it will translate and that is why im excited about working with the members and already i have gotten an indication that they see the value of the library and appreciate it. So that is a a very good position to be in as you are in an environment where there are fiscal checks and balances, needs and things like that. Doesnt seem to be much of a dispute of the value of the librarys before i have a political question. Were approved overwhelmingly, however my memory is that you have a think 14 republicans that voted against your confirmation. Guest i think that might be true. Cspan what was the reason . Guest what i understand is there may have been concerned about some of my professional affiliations and the stands that librarians as a group have taken specifically in that segment because i was heading up a professional organization. I was representing 55000 members. When you agree to be the representative you are the spokesperson for the group and im a card carrying member of the library association. So that was an honor for me. It also puts you in a different arena in terms of being the spokesperson for particular views. I think there is some concern that in the role that is not representing a profession that i might still have strong views about certain things. Were talking about the patriot act, and making sure that people can get information freely without interference and things like that. Are you comfortable the way the law is now in the patriot act . Guest and the profession is comfortable. Basically their their concerns were heard and there is a consciousness that in the balance of security you have to have that balance with personal liberty. It was a pretty difficult time when the act was enacted. Cspan i want you to give your time back in a second. Before we close i want to ask to define what a librarian is beyond the obvious and why do people that are library in feel so strongly about their profession . Guest we like to say that the librarians are the original search engines. That librarians are people who help other people get the information, the resources, even the entertainment and you mentioned fiction that they need for their lives or they may wants and that they can help them distinguish for Instance Health information but they can also tell them what the latest novel is by your favorite author or a particular thing they can open up