Carla Hayden is a know-it-all. Want to know how many moons Mars has? Hayden can tell you. Better yet, she will help you find the answer! Hayden, president of the American Library Association (ALA), is the country's top librarian. "A library is a treasure chest full of information," she says. "A librarian's job is to help you unlock the chest and find the treasures!"
In May, Hayden became president of the ALA, the oldest library association in the world, with more than 64,000 members. She represents librarians who work in government, businesses, schools and public libraries. There are 16,220 public libraries in the United States!
In her new post, Hayden seeks to shatter stereotypes about librarians. The job, she says, is "about working with people--and it's not just for women." After graduating from Roosevelt University, in Chicago, Illinois, Hayden took a job at a local library. There, she met a librarian who "wore jeans, had frizzy hair and got down on the floor to talk with kids." This librarian showed Hayden that the job was fun and varied. Hayden went on to earn a Ph.D in library sciences from the University of Chicago.
In recent years, computers have transformed the way people get information. "Today's librarians help people navigate the Internet safely," she says. No matter how popular the Internet becomes, Hayden is confident that there will always be a place for books.
Every year, the ALA awards the Newbery and Caldecott medals to honor the best of children's literature. "There is something magical about holding a book," she says. "You and the author make a direct connection." September is Library Card Sign-Up Month. Hayden wants you to get a card and get connected!