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 . 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 the purchase of books and maps to preserve that history that was coming. And it was a very similar history to have library of congress where you had a recognition that members of any legislative body need today 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 library of congress with some of that. Its amazing the library of 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 that would be from where we are in jackson mississippi all the way to davenport, iowa, think about shelving, it has a lot of shelving. And putting the things back, think about that. We have very robust Staff Members and the Staff Members are really, when you think about all of the collections, the Worlds Largest collection of baseball cards, the Worlds Largest collection of comic books, the first superman, the first i see a lot of young people in the audience. Look at this. They are like, oh, really, yes, yes. And just about every subject. Lets talk about how you got into the library because that was as a young graduate youre looking for a job. I think i have said this publicly before and it was wonderful yesterday to be at the mississippi Supreme Court where the wonderful law library and everything because there was a time after i graduated from Public ServiceUniversity University in chicago started by Eleanor Roosevelt and carries that tradition of Public Service, i majored in history and Political Science and i was thinking, okay, what now, but i needed employment. And unfortunately a lot of the people who might have thought about employing me said, you dont have any experience, all youve done is goo to school. Yes, theres some recent grads here that are saying that. What have you done, interned and everything. So but because i loved books and libraries and things, between job interviews i would go to the Central Library at the Chicago Public library. Im sitting there waiting on the next interview thinking on how to explain not having Work Experience and a gentleman came up and said, hey, are you here for the library jobs, they are hiring anybody. [laughter] anybody with an undergraduate degree. I thought, oh, wow, hey, im here. I like it, i went upstairs. Just to let you know he didnt get a job, i did. Years later he made out all right. And then i got in and i was assign today a small store front in the south side of chicago. She was having a story time with children with autism and i said, this is a little different and it was about encouraging everybody and Opening Doors to reading and she was in graduate Library School and this is when i found out, theres a profession. I knew librarians and things. You didnt start planning out to be librarian . Oh, in, im an accidental librarian, im truly the definition. It opened the world to me. It did. It was something that matched. My parents were both classically trained musicians, by age of 12 we all knew that was not going to be my path, but we also knew that i related to text the way they related to notes and music and they would look at musical notes and hear sound and music and i would look at words and hear people talking in my head. And so thats great, i know your mom is watching. Shes watching and listening and will critique. [laughter] as soon as we get home. You may want to check your phone. Luckily my mom has not advanced in technology. Im not going to let her. [laughter] that would be dangerous. Shes a lovely lady. We hope youll get her down. She encouraged me in terms of reading and i remember she would read and thats what we tried to do in terms of the thats why this festival is so important, making reading fun or something you want to do and not just a chore. Well, us tell us a little bit, you worked at the Chicago Public library, you get your first real job. First real job. After graduating from college and so to get from there, you had this incredible journey because i think you knew early on this was what you loved it and wanted to stay in the profession, right . I knew from the first store front to the fact that, wow, they pay you to introduce people to books and reading and youre around all of the books and you get to see all the new books as soon as they come in. [laughter] theyre fresh and smell good. Leadership skills have been recognized from the very beginning. Your long tenure of the ceo is when you were able to come to this position and you were there from 1993 to 2016. Right. You were also in the president the American Library association, your leadership skills have long been recognized. Share a little bit about the experience that youve had and what that meant and a lot of people dont know the history and what it meant to education . It was a yankee, im in mississippi. He was a yankee from middle burough, mississippi, mr. Pratt came down in 1856 and made his fortune there and he was a contemporary of other kind of wellknown people that made fortunes and they each picked a Public Institution to support. So mr. Hopkins, mr. Peabody, mr. Pratt, never had children, 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. [laughter] and he set up this Free Public Library and mr. Andrew who is largely credited for starting the public system in the United States, wasnt having a successful time to get libraries to communities and he heard about mr. Baltimore and he came down to baltimore and mr. Pratt took him around and then he went off and said, mr. Pratt was my pioneer and so that tradition there. Yeah. But, you know, you have broken a lot of barriers and its taken a while to break those barriers, for one reason 13 librarians before you. They dont give those up once they get them and we expect you not to give yours up. And the names of those librarians, daniel, john, this one and that one and then carla. [laughter] i think shes female. For you to be the first woman, first woman librarian, first africanamerican librarian, you look around the room there are a lot of young people in the room, they are certainly watching on tv, what do you do to encourage someone that thinks that obstacles and ways, how do you share your story with them . Well, theyre not just imagining obstacles, there are obstacles. What in terms of my story being a female and you noticed i pointed that out, femme femenized profession and, in fact, my Favorite Movie ending, its a wonderful life and remember at the end when what could have happen and shes coming out of the library. [laughter] okay, librarians have a stereo type and the professions 80 is female but the top management doesnt reflect that so being a female leader in the profession has been very, i think, hopefully heartening for some of the young women that are in the profession and also being a person of color and so significant to be here in jackson where just yesterday, we were at the marker yesterday and the celebration of the fact that people wanted to read and integrate a Public Library means so much for me being an african american, being in this situation. That was the trail marker. Right there. Put up on thursday. Just put up. [applause] one of the Great Stories they shared with us there were all students and they all went to check out books that were not on the campus library, they were only available there and they were dressed sharp. They looked like Young Professionals and so that was so fun to really think about, they did the the research so they made sure and went to car catalog and made sure that the books they were requesting were not available at the branch that was used by African Americans too. So they couldnt be referred, so they used a really good library trick. Only available right here. They couldnt search those online. Evidence that these books were not available anywhere else and thats what really pushed the issue. Looking and thinking of young people now and the obstacles that they have, having so Much Technology and so much information thats being called a fire hoes, its not just because im here in mississippi, grit and grits. Ive had some last night. It was wonderful, but the determination and also sticking close to family and friends, those are your best partners when youre facing anything and realize that tomorrow things might look a little better. Your work and your leadership, how youre encouraging a lot of people, theres still a lot of first to be done and they will look to you as an example. Thats one reason in 2016, fortune magazine, top 50 leaders in the world. And my mom flipped it out thank you. Every time she tries to help me something, i say, could you look at that. The only reason you got that was because of her. There you go. Thats how that works. It works. You also got to read a Childrens Book yesterday to some of the Young Students from the mississippi students, what an experience. I think what that showed and you were with me and to see their eyes light up with that book and with the interpreter and then just became the book and the child and thats the ultimate and when we told them and gave each child a copy of the book and one young lady signed and said, can i take it home and she said this is for you and she just hugged the book, hugged the book. Did some arts and crafts. All things glitter. Young ronnie said that this is night with the glitter and everything, can we make a sharp turn and shark and tall kids wanted to do fins and they we wanted to write their names in the book. And so they signed the letter and write the name. You have to with the love of reading and thats why this festival, you can buy books, you can borrow books and lend books and get them back and it doesnt matter. If youre a reader youll read the back of a cereal box. Look, everybody. [laughter] you will read anything. When you start has anybody in this audience and think at home, ever purchased the same book twice. [laughter] we understand they may have cleaned that up a little bit but there were books everywhere. Everywhere on every surface. She was happy to see that, i will say yesterday. I felt better about my house. [laughter] youve not quite been on the job. Im coming up for my anniversary. But you were sworn in september 14th of 2016, tell us how that experience was of having president obama call you and their team call you to tell you that were going to name you. First, let me tell you its a real call and then you hear someone say, would you serve as a 14th librarian of congress and thats the keyword for me, would you serve, it gets to the concept and the library of congress is wonderful experience of bob hope, comedian and his daughter is working with us that he used comedic genius to serve the troops. Whatever profession youre in, everybody can serve and that was the key for me in the really part what can do i in the library of congress and its really opening up the library of congress and you can fill in the plank in the library of congress has it, you can connect with us, history, theres a table, a table outside with all of the projects and things and even a bookmark that emphasizes, ask a librarian whether youre visiting the library of congress or online, ask us a question and receive expert assistance from our librarians and subject specialists and then theres the tin man here, if i only had a librarian. [laughter] that and owning a bookstore. You can do both. Thats a possibility. But to have that and then about two months into the job, can you tell people what the award from the library of congress and experience . The library of congress has so many collections, sound recording, film, prints and photographs and has collection of george, Great American composer, summer time and all of that. Each year an award for outstanding contributor to american song and two months in i was asked to present the george award to mr. Smoky robinson. Now let me just say that was not a hardship. [laughter] and i thought, i remembered what my grandmother used to say when i was doing Different Things in librarianships. I knew she was really looking down on that one. And to have him come to the library of congress and see his scores for all of his wonderful songs amazing. Next to the original manuscript of summertime in georges hand and it brought him to tears because he said my work is now here and recognized from george and then he sang. [laughter] tracks of my tears, i know, it was a moment. It was a moment. It was something. Thats one of the perks of the job. Well, here is another thing i had to do. Had to do in november. I had to call mr. Tony bennett. I know. I know. Such a hard thats what i want young people to know, specially librarians, librarian of congress is not so bad. Mr. Tony bennett, the first person to be given the gorshin award and he was touched and said, am i really the first person and the people part of this program, old, mature, everybody will pay tribute to toney bennett. Think about all of people hes done duets with. February. Concert happens in november. The last one, it was really something, just what this festival is also i lust straiting illustrating power of arts and music and literature and last year mr. Samuel jackson was the mc was it my girl, because you were singing. Not well. My lips were moving. [laughter] lets just said we had everybody from every party, every state and everything as mr. Jackson said, this is bipartisan kareoke. That was something. Everybody knew the words. We see all of the divisiveness sometimes between the party. Between everybody. This is something that brings people together. This festival is bringing people together. Sure. Thats what youre going to see. Just in the room, the diversity, the different interests and theres something for everyone and thats what this is really going to illustrate and we can all enjoy it and just have fun with it. Thats one of the things as member of congress it has been my diversion in life has been the things that library of congress have been on the joint committee of the library of Congress Since i got there eight and a half years ago, it is remarkable, where the parties do need to come together, work together, whether its the gershwin awards, tell us a little bit about the congressional dialogues where we packed them in republicans and democrats, senators and house members. To really get a sense of what the current authors are and even authors who are writing about history and whats been very heartening for me when i listen to the discussions and the question and answers afterwards is this genuine, and i think everyone in this country should be heartened by this that the genuine interest in history and working out and its called congressional dialogue. Its a round book, but its really about a dialogue about the ideas in books. And we are doing probably about ten of those a year. Ten of those a year. And they are in the grand hall. And its about books. Theyre beautiful, we have a dinner where everybody comes together and then you have a top writer who has a biography on maybe a former president , maybe someone that maybe wasnt a president but very important in history. Charles lindbergh. What do the members all get . A book. Not just a book. An autographed book. There you go. Remember that i mentioned the child that hugged the book. There were members of congress that hugged the books, i noticed that. Thats what we should all celebrate. Theres a reason why its called a book festival. Festival and its somethin