The library. Mississippi is fortunate to have so strong a supporter of literature, music and arts as congressman greg harper, now in fifth term, harper shares the committee on House Administration and serves House Committee of energy and commerce and joint committee on printing an more pertantly chair committee. Here is congressman gregg happen harper,. What a great day. All the work thats been done, you cant say enough to all of the people that have participated, but its my honor to have in mississippi dr. Carla hayden 14th librarian of congress. Still new on the job. We had an incredible day yesterday with her here at the state Library Commission and also we we had just an amazing day, didnt we. I want you to know that when you talk of rockstar status, and i see susan here. When we had her with a hundred librarians from across the state, it was like elvis was in the room. [laughter] it was pretty special. Also, it probably at about 10 15 we will open it up for q a. You have a question that you want to ask, please feel free to go there. We will try to get as many as we in in a 15minute span and do that as well. And so would you please join me in giving a warm welcome to dr. Carla hayden. Ive had one. [applause] dr. Hayden, i just want to tell you how much we appreciate you taking the time out of incredibly busy schedule to come and join us. I knew you flew in thursday night and then we had a very busy day yesterday. How was that experience for you yesterday . Show less text 00 03 00 it was a world win and when you mentioned that the librarians from all other the state, we had its like oxy moron, what was inspiring was the fact that librarians and people who love books and reading, its a community, it doesnt matter you you, your state, in fact, you remember chairman harper, i even forgot where i was because i was around my library peeps. [laughter] where am i . , oh, yes. Thats what unify us. We will try to get as many as we in in a 15minute span and do that as well. And so would you please join me in giving a warm welcome to dr. Carla hayden. Ive had one. [applause] dr. Hayden, i just want to tell you how much we appreciate you taking the time out of incredibly busy schedule to come and join us. I knew you flew in thursday night and then we had a very busy day yesterday. How was that experience for you yesterday . It was a world win and when you mentioned that the librarians from all other the state, we had its like oxy moron, what was inspiring was the fact that librarians and people who love books and reading, its a community, it doesnt matter you you, your state, in fact, you remember chairman harper, i even forgot where i was because i was around my library peeps. [laughter] where am i . , oh, yes. Thats what unify us. We started the day at the Supreme Court building. At the state law library and that was an amazing experience to learn that the state of mississippi which became a state in 1817 and 1818 was already planning and had resolution for and that was an amazing experience to learn which became a state in 1718 and 18 was already planning for a resolution for the purchase of books and maps serve history that was coming refer two books and to get information and so i think that, in fact, mississippi might have been just a little bit in front of to speak congress was created in 1800. Thats a long time ago and weve only had 14 librarians of congress. A very long time. I can see why. Going into my anniversary, its such a wonderful resource. It has grown into a resource for people in this country in ways that im not even sure everybody recognized. So thats another thing. If you hear me talking about what the library of congress does. How many millions are in librarys collection . 164 million items, 836 miles of shelving. So that would be from where we are now in jackson mississippi overweighted davenport iowa. [laughter] and putting things back so think about that. He fir its the collection of comic books. I see a lot of young people in the audience got joined by publicservice university. Ti i majored in history and scien science, but i needed employme employment, and a lot of the people who might have thoughtem about employing said you dont have an experience all youvee done is go to school. Yes there are some recent graduates here that say what have you done. Because i love books and libraries and things, between job interviews, i would go to the Central Library at the Chicago Public library. Sitting there waiting on the next interview to find a way not having Work Experience and a gentle man came up and said argue here for the library jobs they are hiring everybody. [laughter] anybody was an undergraduate degree. I thought wow, i am here and just to let you know he didnte get the job, i did. He did all right. I was assigned to a storefront on the south side of chicago with a young lady who wouldnt mind me saying this. It was about and hiring everyone and opening their doors for everyone to reading and thats when i found out as a profession i knew librarians and things. It was just about open to me. They were classically trained musicians and things like that. Your mom is watching. She is watching and listening and will critique. She is a lovely lady and we hope you will get her down here. In terms of reading i know she would read and thats what we try to do in terms of this festival being so important and making reading fun and something we want to do and not just h. A chore. You didnt get your firstfr real job until after graduating from college, and so to get from there you have this incredible journey because i think that you knew very early on that this is what you wanted to stay in this profession. I knew from the first storefront to the fact they pay to introduce people and you get to see all of the new books as soon as they come in and they are fresh and smell good. But you have a passion for reading it and theres been such a joy and solace for me all my life. Lea your leadership skills have obviously been recognized from the very beginning that your long tenure as the ceo at the oe library in baltimore maryland is probably why you were not able to come into this position, and you were there from 1993 to 2016 and the president of the American Library association back in 2003 and 2004, so theer leadership skills have been recognized. Share a little bit of experience at the library and what that meant. A lot of people dont know the history. Kee, im he was a yankee from middleborough massachusetts who became, went south to baltimore to make his fortune. His father was into hardware and so he came down in 1856 and made his fortune and was a contemporary of other kind of wellknown people in baltimore at the time and they each picked a Public Institution to support, so mr. Hopkins was at the university, mr. Peabody in the museum and mr. Pratt who never had children and they still talk about that said that he wanted to give the library to the city, and he said i want my library to be free of politics and religion. And he set up this Free Public Library anlibrary and mr. Andree that is largely credited with starting the system wasnt having such a successful time when he was trying to get the libraries to the communities and he came down to baltimore and mr. Pratt took him around and o then he went off and said mr. Pratt was my pioneer and so thats been the tradition. You have broken a lot of barriers and its taken a while to break those barriers. Only 13 librarians before use if its taken a while. They dont give those up. For you to be the first africanamerican woman like her and, you look around the room, there are people watching on tv, what did you do to encourage someone with obstacles in their way how do you share your story with them . They are not just imagining obstacles, there are obstacles and my story being a female, i pointed this out, librarianship is one of the feminized professions, social work, education, nursing and librarianship. My Favorite Movie ending is its a wonderful life. The and i remember at the end whenwt he comes back and shes coming out of the library. [inaudible] [laughter]y, lib they have a very strong stereotype. 85 of the workforce is female but the top has been known to reflect that and so being a female leader in the profession has been heartening for some of the young women that are in ther profession also being a person of color. And its so significant to be here in jackson where just yesterday we were at the commemorative marker and a celebration of the fact that people wanted to read and integrate a Public Library means so much for me being an africanamerican being in thiss situation. That was the trail marker there. T it was a really remarkable story. [applause] one of the things they share about the story, they were all students and they all went to check out books that were not on the Campus Library and they were dressed sharp like the young professionals. That was fun to think about. They did the research so they made sure and went to the card catalog and made sure the books they were questioning were not available. So they used a really good library trick. Ow walking and thinking of young people now and the obstacles they face and in fact having soa Much Technology and information being called a fire hose of information how do you decide and things like that. The determination and sticking close to family and friends those are your best partners when you are facing anything and then to realize things tomorrow might look a little better. Your work and leadership in how you are encouraging so many people, there is still a lot tol be done and they will talk to you as that example and that is one reason in 2016 fortuners magazine named the one of the top leaders in the world. [applause] thank you. [applause]o help its because everything she tries to Say Something i say cao you look at this. And the only reason you got there was because ive heard thats how that works. A you also got to read a Childrens Book yesterday and some of the Young Students from the school for the deaf, what an experience. I think what that showed, and you were with me to see their eyes light up in the book with the interpreter and then it just became the book and the child and then when we told him and he gave each child a copy of the book and one young lady signed and said can i take it home and she just hugged the book. And then did some arts and crafts. Everything was later until ronnie said that this is nice and everything with the glitter, can we make a shark. Then all the kids wanted to. [laughter] with the love of reading that is why this festival you can combine books and lend books and they will get them back. You can read the back of aal cereal box. You can read anything into thats the key. In has anybody in this audience ever purchased the same book twice . Magazines are terrible because you look at the scen would get t is when you might know that you have a problem there were books everywhere. And she was very happy to see that. I felt better about my house. Tell me how that experience wasd and then you hear someone say what you serve as the 14th librarian of congress and that was the key word because it gets to the concept in the library of congress does a wonderful exhibit about bob hope, the canadian, and his daughter is working with us now to emphasize he used his genius to serve the troops. That was the key for me in the t part ithepart that said okay whi do at the library of congress and its opening up the library of congress. We have a table outside with all of the projects and even a bookmark that emphasizes to ask a librarian and to receive expert assistance. What an experience that must have been to know not only were you getting the dream job of every library in the world. You can do both. That is a possibility. But, to have that and then backk to months in the job. Can you tell the folks about what the award is for the library of congress and theny that First Experience . The library of congress has so many collections. Sound recordings, film, photograph, and the collection of George Gershwin, the Great American composer. Each year, the library of Congress Gives an award to an outstanding contributor to american song. Two months in, i was asked to present the award to mr. Smokey robinson. Let me just say that was not a hardship. Ter] [laughter]what my i remembered what my grandmother used to say, i never thought youre being a librarian would lead to all of this. She was really looking down on that one. And to come to the library of congress and see his scores all of his wonderful songs next to the original manuscript of summertime and it brought him to tears because he said it might work is now here and recognized with George Gershwin and then he sang. [laughter] it was a moment. I know we cant go into any other details. I had to call mr. Tony bennett. Thats what i found young people to know the library of congress is not so bad. Mr. Tony bennett, the first person to be given the gershwin award for his interpretation of popular songs. And he was so touched and said anna i first person and the people that are going to be part of this program i cannot tell yet because we are still confirming that everybody is going to be there to pay tribute. Es that will be televised. And the last one was really something because the experience with the library of congress and what his festival is also illustrating is the unifying power of the arts of music and literature and in fact last year mr. Samuel jackson was the mc. Lets just say we have everybody from every party. Of course on the news we see all the divisiveness between theng a parties. This is something that brings people together. And the festival is bringing people together just in the room the diversity, the different interests and thats why there is something for everyone. When you look for that. Tell a little bit about the congressional dialogs where the senators and house members. A sn to get a sense of what the current authors are writing about history and what is very heartening for me as i listened to the discussions and questions and answers afterwards everyone should be very heartened by this type of genuine interest in history and working out and its called congressional dialogs that it is a book that is about the dialogue about the ideas in the books. And we are doing probably about ten of those a year in the grand hall. And it is a top writer that has a biography on the former president , maybe someone that wasnt a president that is very important in history. The best thing is what do the members all get . A book. [laughter] there is a reason why it is called a book festival. Its something you can see people and talk about it. There would be an exhibit from the papers of both. Those two men were reading some of the same books. You can download so many things. I am a baseball fan, so we put the scouting reports. I dont know maybe more than a fan. My grandfather they lived in springfield illinois, and he was one of those baseball fan that would have to radios going one on the porch and then there was a blackandwhite tv and he would take me down to the st. Louis cardinals. You started out as a cardinals fan and you still are a cardinals fan but you are also there ialso there is a team in chicago people are still recovering from that. [laughter] i dont know if the city can take it, but they would accept it. What i found out is that the library of congress. He said he had some talent. Just seeing these reports and what he said about the players and then his relationship with Jackie Robinson so all of these treasures, and that is what has been the greatest joy for me but the greatest has been working with the staff. Then the surprise is how many things are still being discovered. That is with 164 plus items in the collection you probably cant know what is in a brief filed shares the story, of course your office which ive looked for reasons to go to her office. Are th the beautiful older buildings come at the Jefferson Buildings, but your office is across the street on the sixth floor in the corner all glass panels hide area overlooking the capital of the library of congress. Ef it is the spot to go. Data building is only the James Madison building and is the only official memorial to James Madison in the capital. And the Jefferson Building named after Thomas Jefferson who sold his. Its the exhibit about the two georges all is forgiven now. The library of congress was in the capital. They said the british use of some of the books from the library of congress to start thy fire. Thats kind of something that we are trying. E trea theres the beautiful ceremonial office you have so in the Madison Building that opened up in 1980 and thats where the library and office went. Its the wonderful librarians office and it is like a little box so we opened up for the public and you will see a door that in 1975. He saw the door and tried to open it. A key then behind the wooden door is a bank vault door. That is something and no one knew the combination. The legend goes a certain gentleman that had those skills poem [laughter] was excused for a short period of time. E. [laughter] to open the safe and when they opened it there was only onene thing in it, a small black box and when he opened the box, there was a letter and its head these are the contents tonight he was assassinated. F and he was giving to the library of congress by abraham lincolns granddaughter. And in that box, there were two pairs of spectacles, a little cloth for him to clean them, he had about a six or seven articles, some good and some not good that he had in his wallet. He also had a Little Pocket knife type of thing and then something that for me humanizema the one monogram and then you get a button and put it in your pocket and that is what was in his pocket. You should know full disclosure i agree and in congress and ive looked at every drawer around every place and im still looking. The book of secrets i might fin. Out. E great thats the great thing that you never know because it started in the team hundreds and overtime, materials have come in. Susan b. Anthonys papers, th