Librarian of Congress checks out Malden

COURTESY PHOTO
Touring​ ​the​ ​library​ are, from​ ​left,​ ​Dr.​ ​Carla​ ​Hayden,​ ​Mayor​ ​Gary​ ​Christenson,​ ​Library Trustee​ ​President​ ​John​ ​Tramondozzi,​ ​Dr.​ ​Susan​ ​Blumenthal and U.S. Sen. ​Ed​ward ​Markey.

By STEVE FREKER

MALDEN —​ ​United​ ​States​ ​Librarian of​ ​Congress​ ​Dr.​ ​Carla​ ​Hayden​ picked Malden to make her first-ever visit to a Massachusetts city.

The​ ​first​ ​woman​ ​and​ ​African​-​American​ ​to​ ​hold​ ​her​ ​position,​ Hayden ​joined U.S.​ ​Sen.​ ​Ed​ward ​Markey ​(D-Mass.),​ ​Malden​ ​Mayor​ ​Gary​ ​Christenson,​ ​Malden​ ​Library Director​ ​Dora​ ​St.​ ​​ ​Martin​ ​and​ ​other​ ​city​ ​staff​ ​and​ ​officials Sunday for an event attended by 200 librarians from across the state.

Hayden led ​a​ ​discussion​ ​on education,​ ​the​ ​role​ ​of​ ​libraries​ ​in​ ​communities ​and​ ​the​ ​importance​ ​of​ ​funding​ ​libraries​ ​to ensure​ ​access​ ​to​ ​opportunities.​

​​“​I​ ​couldn’t​ ​be​ ​more​ ​honored​ ​and​ ​proud​ ​as​ ​mayor​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​part​ ​of​ ​this​ ​momentous occasion,”​ ​Christenson said.

​​​Malden​ ​Board​ ​of​ ​Library​ ​Trustees​ ​President​ John​ ​Tramon​dozzi​ ​led​ ​a​ ​private​ ​tour​ ​of​ ​the library​. After the tour,​ ​Markey​ ​and​ ​Hayden​ ​read​ ​to​ ​a​ ​large​ ​group of​ ​children​ ​and​ ​​parents​ ​in​ ​the​ library’s ​Maccario​ ​Room.​ ​

As a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Markey​ ​authored legislation called  ​the​ ​E-Rate​ ​— or Education​ ​Rate — program. Created​ ​as​ ​a​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​1996​ ​Telecommunications​ ​Act, E-Rate has​ ​provided​ ​more​ ​than​ ​$44​ ​billion​ ​nationwide​ ​and​ ​more​ ​than​ ​$600​ ​million​ ​in Massachusetts​ ​to​ ​schools​ ​and​ ​libraries​ ​to​ ​support​ ​internet​ ​access.

​“Public​ ​libraries​ ​are​ ​an integral​ ​and​ ​invaluable​ ​asset​ ​for​ ​a​ ​community,”​ ​said ​Markey,​ ​who​ ​also​ ​​ ​recalled spending “countless​ ​hours​ ​studying​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Malden​ ​Public​ ​Library​ ​as​ ​a​ ​college​ ​and​ ​law​ ​school student.”​ ​​ ​​

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Christenson​ ​presented​ ​Hayden​ ​with​ ​a​ ​reproduction​ ​of​ ​Malden’s​ ​May​ ​27,​ ​1776​ ​document​ ​titled​, ​“Instructions​ ​of the​ ​Inhabitants​ ​of​ ​Malden,​ ​Massachusetts​ ​to​ ​their​ ​Representatives​ ​in​ ​Congress.”  

​​Librarians in attendance shared their concerns during a ​question​ ​and​ ​answer​ ​period​, focusing on​ ​the​ ​importance​ ​of​ ​keeping​ ​libraries​ ​funded,​ ​maintaining​ ​access​ ​to​ ​computers and​ internet,​ ​and​ ​preserving​ ​educational​ ​programming​ ​and​ ​cultural​ ​opportunities​ ​for communities.​