Hey explorers, it's Dario. Welcome to the IBI podcast, beaming in conversations from the galaxy of Black genius. Today, we browse the mind of Dr. Carla Hayden, the 14th Librarian of Congress, appointed by U.S. President Barack Obama. Dr. Hayden is the first woman and the first African American to hold this position at the National Library. As an actual librarian, Dr. Hayden is known for advocating for the privacy of library users and for her initiatives to promote broad access to public libraries and their resources. 

Our dialogue today, much like the Library of Congress itself, is a treasure trove of literary jewels. We discuss how the Library of Congress is not your mother’s library, containing priceless artifacts like the Bayard Rustin papers, and a handwritten letter from Nina Simone to Hazel Scott. We talk American literacy rates, how parents can engage reluctant readers, and we even get personal, as Dr. Hayden and i discuss the health challenges black women face in the workplace, especially in positions of power.

Connect with us on Twitter and Instagram @blackimagination, subscribe to our newsletter for updates, and support the show by clicking this support link. and explore more content on blackimagination.com. So grab your library card and a snack… It’s time to check into the people’s university, with Dr. Carla Hayden.

Key Links

Library Of Congress - the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office.

Nina Simone - American singer-songwriter, pianist, and activist.

Hazel Scott - Jazz pianist and singer

Enoch Pratt Free Library- the free public library system of Baltimore, Maryland.

American Library Association - largest membership association in the world for the library industry.

August Wilson - American playwright

André Leon Talley - American fashion journalist

Citizen DJ - Make music using the free-to-use audio and video materials from the Library of Congress

Jessye Norman - American opera singer

What to Read

Seven Guitars - August Wilson

A Library - Nikki Giovanni

Library of Congress "Books That Shaped America"  

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants- Robin Wall Kimmerer

Behind the Scenes: Or Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House - Elizabeth Keckley

A History of Reading - Alberto Manguel

Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum - Antonia Hylton

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents - Isabel Wilkerson

What to listen to

Wild Is The Wind - Nina Simone

Round Midnight - Hazel Scott

Amazing Grace - Jessye Norman

Process - Samora Pinderhughes

Previous IBI Episodes to check out

E2. Dr. Mabel O. Wilson, Architect and Scholar.

E7. André Leon Talley, Fashion Icon (part one).

E7. André Leon Talley, Fashion Icon (part two).

E56. Rita Dove: The Pleasure of Text.

E79. Liberation Through Libraries. with (Reginald) Dwayne Betts

Who to follow

W: https://www.loc.gov/

IG: Library of Congress (@librarycongress)

TW: Carla Hayden (@LibnOfCongress) · X

This conversation was recorded on January 30, 2024.

Host Dario Calmese 

Producer:  K.T. Thompson

Lead Designer:  Elliott McKnight

Director of Digital Content: Vicky Garcia

Production Asst:  Noa Lesche

Original Music composed by Adam Radice

Sound Engineer:  Adam Radice

Visit us at blackimagination.com 

Watch other episodes on YouTube at The Institute of Black Imagination.