Robert Newlen

Robert R. Newlen was appointed Principal Deputy Librarian of Congress effective March 29, 2025, and is currently serving as Acting Librarian of Congress.

Newlen’s 46-year career at the Library of Congress has included leadership positions in the Congressional Research Service (CRS), the Law Library of Congress, and the Office of the Librarian. He most recently served as interim Director of CRS, returning from retirement in 2023 to help guide the service through a period of transition.

Newlen first joined the Library of Congress in 1975, when he accepted a position as a temporary clerk in the Inquiry Unit of CRS. During his 35-year tenure in CRS, he served as head, Inquiry Unit; supervisory team leader of the Senate Reference Center; head, CRS Legislative Relations Office; Deputy Assistant Director, Knowledge Services Group (KSG); and Assistant Director, KSG.

In 2010, Newlen was appointed Assistant Law Librarian for Collections, Outreach & Services and was the coordinator and principal fundraiser for the Library’s exhibit “Magna Carta: Muse and Mentor” in 2014. The following year, Newlen transferred to the Office of the Librarian to serve as the Library’s Chief of Staff and was subsequently appointed Deputy Librarian for Institutional Advancement. Following his retirement in 2017, he served as executive director and director of strategic initiatives for The Dwight D. Opperman Foundation in Phoenix.

Newlen has held a variety of positions in the American Library Association (ALA), which includes serving as a member of the Executive Board and senior trustee of the ALA Endowment. He was the recipient of the ALA Medal of Excellence in 2016 for “creative leadership of high order, particularly in library management” and, in 2021, he received the Joseph W. Lippincott Award for distinguished service in the profession of librarianship. Newlen has also been active in the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, and the Joint Council of Librarians of Color. For the State Department, he conducted seminars and training in library and information science in Belarus, Moldova, and Russia.

Newlen holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and French from Bridgewater College; a master’s degree from American University; and a master’s degree in library science from The Catholic University of America.