August 12, 2021 Librarian of Congress Announces Three Executive Appointments

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden today announced three top leadership appointments that together bring decades of experience in the field of library advocacy, services, management, and planning.

Jason Broughton will serve as Director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Aslihan Bulut has been appointed as Law Librarian of Congress, and Robin Dale has been named Deputy Librarian for Library Collections and Services.

“Jason Broughton, Aslihan Bulut and Robin Dale are accomplished librarians who bring a wealth of unparalleled experience and knowledge to their new roles at the Library of Congress, and we are excited about their vision and leadership plans to further strengthen our programs and services,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden.

National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled

Jason Broughton has been appointed as Director, National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS), where he will be responsible for the oversight and administration of the NLS program of the Library of Congress, including the expansion of online and digital delivery of program services.

Prior to joining the Library of Congress, Broughton became in 2019 the first  African American to serve as Vermont State Librarian, where he engaged in strategic planning for the Department of Libraries and establishing a long-term vision for the State Library.

For over a decade, Broughton held numerous library roles in South Carolina and Georgia, where he used his prior training as an educator to focus on such issues as workforce development and public outreach engagement.

Broughton earned his M.S. in Library and Information Science from the University of South Carolina, an M.S. in Public Administration from the University of South Florida and a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Florida A&M University.

Broughton’s effective start date will be Sept. 12.

Law Library of Congress

Aslihan Bulut has been appointed as Law Librarian of Congress after serving in that position in an acting capacity for almost five months. Since 2019, Bulut served as the deputy law librarian for collections at the Law Library of Congress, where she oversaw the Global Legal Collections Directorate in establishing priorities, design, launch and execution of Law Library initiatives related to physical and digital collections. 

Before joining the Law Library, Bulut served as the director of academic services in the California State University system at the San Jose State University, King Library campus, where she provided leadership, planning and administration for collection development, research support and instruction. For most of her career, she has developed unparalleled experience in academic law libraries, including the Langdell Law Library of Harvard Law School and the Arthur W. Diamond Law Library of Columbia University School of Law.

A Turkish immigrant who cultivated a love for libraries since high school, Aslihan has a J.D. from the City University of New York School of Law, a master’s degree in Library Science from Rutgers University School of Communication, Information and Library Science, and a bachelor’s degree from Montclair State University.

Bulut will start in her new role with an effective date of Aug. 15.

Library Collections and Services Group

Robin Dale has been appointed Deputy Librarian for the Library Collections and Services Group, where she will be responsible for the collaborative group that acquires, stewards, describes and shares the Library collections. Prior to her promotion, Dale served as Associate Librarian for Library Services since April 1, 2019.

An accomplished author and service-oriented administrator, Dale has over 25 years of experience in various library management and program roles working in and with research libraries including Columbia University, the Research Libraries Group, the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Throughout her professional career, Dale has been a strong advocate for libraries and has expertise in library technologies, digital library service development, collection access management and preservation, library space and renovation, and personnel management. 

Dale holds a master’s degree in Library & Information Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Riverside.

Dale will start in her new role with an effective date of Aug. 15.

About the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.