AMIA Legacy Award

AMIA to Honor Dr. Carla Hayden with Inaugural Legacy Award 

AMIA is proud to announce that Dr. Carla Hayden, former Librarian of Congress, will receive the organization’s inaugural Legacy Award at the AMIA 35th Annual Conference, held December 3–5, 2025, in Baltimore, Maryland. The award will be presented on December 3 during a special event at the historic Parkway Theatre in Baltimore.

The Legacy Award honors individuals whose visionary leadership, advocacy, and lifelong commitment to access have significantly advanced the field of media preservation. Dr. Hayden’s distinguished career exemplifies these values. From her groundbreaking tenure as the first woman and first African American Librarian of Congress to her decades of leadership in public libraries and archives, she has worked tirelessly to expand equitable access to the nation’s cultural and historical record.

“Carla Hayden’s impact on our field is immeasurable,” said Mike Mashon, President of AMIA. “As Librarian of Congress, she brought unprecedented visibility to the importance of preserving our moving image heritage, and she did so with a deep commitment to public access and community engagement. Her leadership has inspired a generation of archivists, particularly those entering the field through programs like AMIA’s Pathways Fellowship, to see preservation not only as a technical practice, but as a public service. We are deeply honored to recognize her with our inaugural Legacy Award.”

The award will be presented by Dr. Jacqueline Stewart, Chair of the National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) and acclaimed film scholar. A former AMIA board member and founder of the South Side Home Movie Project, Stewart is a leading advocate for representation in archival practice, and her work has expanded public understanding of the vital role community memory plays in audiovisual preservation. A host of TCM’s Silent Sunday Nights and former President of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, she has brought film history to broad public audiences for decades. Her leadership at the NFPB, her advocacy for access to our cultural heritage, and her close ties with AMIA make her an especially meaningful presenter for this inaugural honor.

AMIA’s 35th Annual Conference will convene archivists, preservationists, scholars, technologists, and media professionals from around the world to share knowledge, explore emerging technologies, and strengthen the global community dedicated to preserving our audiovisual heritage.