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.
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.
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 (CRS). He was employed as a clerk and typist, delivering letters across the Thomas Jefferson Building.
From then he served in various leadership positions. These included head, Inquiry Unit; supervisory team leader of the Senate Reference Center; head, CRS Legislative Relations Office; Congressional Research Service (CRS; the Law Library of Congress, and the Office of the Librarian. He was coordinator of the exhibit, âÂÂMagna Carta: Muse and Mentor.âÂÂ
In 2016, Newlen was presented with the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Bridgewater College. In 2017, Newlen retired as deputy librarian of Congress.
Following his retirement in 2017 from the Library of Congress] Newlen was executive director and director of strategic initiatives for The Dwight D. Opperman Foundation
In 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.
Newlen served for multiple terms on Council of the American Library Association including the Executive Board. He was also an Endowment Trustee.
He was he was awarded the Association's ALA Medal of Excellence in 2016 for his "creative leadership of high order, particularly in library management."
In 2021 he was honored with the Joseph W. Lippincott Award for distinguished service to the profession of librarianship.
Newlen ran for president of the American Library Association for the 2004âÂÂ2005 term.
On May 8, 2025, Hayden was abruptly fired by President Donald Trump through an email sent to Hayden. In a separate email, Newlen proclaimed that he would serve as the acting librarian of Congress "until further instruction". 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. Another official of the library who was dismissed shortly after Hayden, Shira Perlmutter has sued to dispute the legality of her dismissal, as her position as Register of Copyrights is appointed by, and responsible to, the Librarian of Congress. Newlen also was appointed by Hayden.