{{Short description|American librarian and acting Librarian of Congress since 2025}} {{Use American English|date=June 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2026}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Robert Newlen | image = Robert-Newlen.jpg | caption = | order = Acting | office = Librarian of Congress | status = Disputed | term_start = May 8, 2025<br>Disputed with Todd Blanche{{efn|Since Hayden's dismissal by Donald Trump, the role of acting librarian has been disputed between the principal deputy, Newlen, and Trump's named appointee, Todd Blanche.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/05/12/congress/doj-no-2-is-now-locs-no-1-00341700 |title=The Leadership of the Library of Congress Is in Apparent Dispute |first1=Josh |last1=Gerstein |first2=Katherine |last2=Tully-McManus |date=May 12, 2025 |accessdate=May 13, 2025 |work=Politico}}</ref>}} | term_end = | president = Donald Trump | predecessor = Carla Hayden | successor = | birth_name = Robert Randolph Newlen | birth_date = | birth_place = Washington, D.C., U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | education = {{ubl |Bridgewater College (BA) |American University (MA) |Catholic University (MLS)}} | occupation = Librarian }} '''Robert Randolph Newlen''' is an American librarian who, as principal deputy librarian of the United States Library of Congress, became the acting librarian of Congress following the dismissal of Carla Hayden in May 2025 by the Trump administration. In 2026 he was awarded American Library Association Honorary Membership, the Association's highest honor.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ala.org/news/2026/03/american-library-association-names-robert-r-newlen-honorary-member |title=American Library Association names Robert R. Newlen Honorary Member |date=March 18, 2026 |website=American Library Association |access-date=March 27, 2026 }}</ref>
== Early life and education == Robert Randolph Newlen<ref name="TMK-CJ-CK 2025">{{cite news |last1=Tully-McManus |first1=Katherine |last2=Carney |first2=Jordain |last3=Cheney |first3=Kyle |author-link3=Kyle Cheney (journalist) |title=Hill leaders question Trump’s attempted Library of Congress takeover |url=https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/05/12/congress/donald-trump-library-of-congress-fight-00342326 |access-date=May 14, 2025 |work=Politico |date=May 12, 2025}}</ref> was born at the now-demolished Sibley Hospital in Washington, D.C. and is a third-generation D.C. native. He is a graduate of Bridgewater College, from which he received a bachelor of arts in political science and French in 1975. In 1979, he received a master of arts in art history from American University, focusing on nineteenth-century and twentieth-century paintings.<ref name="Shifflett BWC">{{cite web |last1=Shifflett |first1=Olivia |title=Robert Newlen '75 Uses Art as Inspiration for Life |url=https://www.bridgewater.edu/events-news/news/robert-newlen-75-uses-art-as-inspiration-for-life/ |publisher=Bridgewater College |access-date=May 14, 2025}}</ref><ref name="2011 interview">{{cite interview |last=Newlen |first=Robert |date=June 16, 2011 |title=An Interview with Robert Newlen, Assistant Law Librarian for Collections, Outreach, and Services |url=https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2011/06/an-interview-with-robert-newlen/ |work= |interviewer-last=Weber |interviewer-first=Andrew |interviewer-link= |location= |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=May 14, 2025}}</ref> Newlen also holds a Master of Library Science from the Catholic University of America.<ref name="Ryan 2023">{{cite news |last1=Ryan |first1=Bill |title=Librarian of Congress Appoints Robert R. Newlen as Interim Director of the Congressional Research Service |url=https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/librarian-of-congress-appoints-robert-r.-newlen-as-interim-director-of-the-congressional-research-se/s/8517790a-b685-4c91-8b6e-246f0c472688 |publisher=Librarian of Congress |access-date=May 14, 2025 |date=June 9, 2023}}</ref><ref name="2011 interview" />
== Career == A few months after graduating from Bridgewater College, Newlen began working at the Library of Congress in November 1975, specifically for the Congressional Research Service (CRS).<ref name="Shifflett BWC" /><ref name="2011 interview" /> He was employed as a clerk and typist, delivering letters across the Thomas Jefferson Building.<ref name="2011 interview" />
During his time at the Library of Congress, Newlen has served in various leadership positions. These have included supervisory team leader of the Senate Reference Center; head of the CRS Legislative Relations Office; and head of the Inquiry Unit. He also served as assistant law librarian for Collections, Outreach & Services; a fundraiser for and coordinator of the “Magna Carta: Muse and Mentor” exhibit; Library of Congress chief of staff; and deputy Librarian of Congress.<ref name="Ryan 2023" /> In 2017, Newlen retired as deputy Librarian of Congress.<ref name="Ryan 2023" />
Following his 2017 retirement from the Library of Congress, Newlen was executive director and director of strategic initiatives for The Dwight D. Opperman Foundation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Librarian of Congress Appoints Robert R. Newlen as Interim Director of the Congressional Research Service |url=https://newsroom.loc.gov/news/librarian-of-congress-appoints-robert-r.-newlen-as-interim-director-of-the-congressional-research-se/s/8517790a-b685-4c91-8b6e-246f0c472688 |date=9 June 2023 |website=Library of Congress Newsroom |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=28 March 2026 }}</ref>
In 2023, the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, announced that she had appointed Newlen as the interim director of the Congressional Research Service following the resignation of the CRS director, Mary Mazanec.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Papp |first1=Justin |title=Former deputy librarian of Congress named interim CRS director |url=https://rollcall.com/2023/06/09/former-deputy-librarian-of-congress-named-interim-crs-director/ |access-date=May 14, 2025 |work=Roll Call |date=June 9, 2023}}</ref> Newlen was appointed the Principal Deputy Librarian of Congress on March 29, 2025.<ref>{{cite web |title=Robert Randolph Newlen |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/n97122180/robert-randolph-newlen/ |website=Library of Congress |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=20 April 2026}}</ref><ref name="TMK-CJ-CK 2025">{{cite news |last1=Tully-McManus |first1=Katherine |last2=Carney |first2=Jordain |last3=Cheney |first3=Kyle |author-link3=Kyle Cheney (journalist) |title=Hill leaders question Trump’s attempted Library of Congress takeover |url=https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/05/12/congress/donald-trump-library-of-congress-fight-00342326 |access-date=May 14, 2025 |work=Politico |date=May 12, 2025}}</ref>
=== Librarian of Congress dispute === On May 8, 2025, Carla Hayden was abruptly fired by President Donald Trump through an email sent to Hayden.<ref>Italie, Hillel, ''[https://apnews.com/article/library-of-congress-card-history-librarian-firings-83d9e862a68832d8076773a7eb16114f Firing, hiring and a mystery: The 225-year-old Library of Congress has never had a moment like this]'', The Associated Press, May 15, 2025</ref> In a separate email, Newlen proclaimed that he would serve as the acting librarian of Congress "until further instruction".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kim |first1=Seung Min |author-link1=Seung Min Kim |last2=Miller |first2=Zeke |author-link2=Zeke Miller |last3=Mascaro |first3=Lisa |title=President Trump fires Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden |url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-library-of-congress-carla-hayden-20a1862ce6d2e0d51a84a37b264ce2ef |access-date=May 14, 2025 |publisher=Associated Press |date=May 9, 2025}}</ref> On May 12, four days after Hayden's dismissal, Trump appointed Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, as the acting librarian of Congress. Newlen did not immediately recognize Blanche's appointment.<ref name="TMK-CJ-CK 2025" /> Another official of the library who was dismissed shortly after Hayden, Shira Perlmutter has sued to dispute the legality of her dismissal,<ref>Smith, Dylan, ''[https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2025/05/23/shira-perlmutter-lawsuit/ Fired Copyright Office Head Shira Perlmutter Sues Trump Administration Over ‘Blatantly Unlawful’ Dismissal]'', Digital Music News, May 23, 2025</ref> as her position as Register of Copyrights is appointed by, and responsible to, the Librarian of Congress. Newlen was also appointed by Hayden.
===American Library Association===
Newlen served for multiple terms on Council of the American Library Association including the Executive Board. He was also an Endowment Trustee.
Newlen ran for president of the American Library Association for the 2004–2005 term.<ref>{{cite news |title=El Paso librarian to lead national group |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/el-paso-times/172335229/ |access-date=May 14, 2025 |work=El Paso Times |date=May 2, 2003 |location=El Paso, Texas |page=11 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>
He was awarded the Association's ALA Medal of Excellence in 2016 for his "creative leadership of high order, particularly in library management."<ref name="Ryan 2023" />
In 2021, he was honored with the Joseph W. Lippincott Award for distinguished service to the profession of librarianship.
== Notes == {{notelist}}
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Newlen, Robert}}
Category:20th-century American academics Category:American Library Association people Category:American University alumni Category:Bridgewater College alumni Category:Catholic University of America alumni Category:Librarians at the Library of Congress Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people)