Robert Newlen
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.
Early life and education
Robert Randolph Newlen 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. Newlen also holds a Master of Library Science from the Catholic University of America.Career
A few months after graduation from Bridgewater College, Newlen began working at the Library of Congress in November 1975, specifically for the Congressional Research Service. He was employed as a clerk and typist, delivering letters across the Thomas Jefferson Building. From then until 2010, he served in various leadership positions.Newlen ran for president of the American Library Association for the 2004–2005 term, which was won by Carol A. Brey-Casiano.
In 2016, Newlen was presented with the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Bridgewater College. That same year, he was awarded the American Library Association's Medal of Excellence for his "creative leadership of high order, particularly in library management." In 2017, Newlen retired as deputy librarian of Congress.
On June 9, 2023 Carla Hayden, the librarian of Congress, announced that she had appointed Newlen as the interim director of the Congressional Research Service following the resignation of the CRS director, Mary Mazanec. He became the Principal Deputy Librarian to Hayden.