Please welcome doctor hayden. [applause] i have to start. I am carl hayden, library of congress. I just want to thank jamie and angel and the readers for allowing me to be with someone who has elevated libraries to such an extent. Let me just say there have been patron saints in carnegie and things like this. I finally smacked down andrew carnegie. How does it feel to be the patron saint . When i started this book i couldnt have anticipated that part of it. I was drawn to this story because i wanted to understand what happened in 1986, this epic fire that closed the la library for twee 7 years but more importantly i wanted to understand why i cared about it so much. I often said if someone said to me city hall burns down i would have thought that is too bad and i assume they will rebuild it but hearing the library had burned felt like a deep, profoundly personal loss and i felt why do we feel such a connection to books . Why do we feel such a connection to libraries that the idea of on
Well, i have to start by thanking the library of congress and i want to thank jamie and helene and the angels. Readers, for allowing me to be with someone who has elevated libraries to such an extent. [applause] let me just say there have been patron saints of the library at the carnegie and thingslike that but you are now number one. I finally smacked down andrew carnegie. Like that. Greats how does itfeel to be the patron saint of libraries . When i started this book i couldnt have anticipatedthat part of it. I was drawn in to the story because i really wanted to understand what happened in 1986 that this epic fire that closed the la library for seven years but more importantly, i wanted to understand why icared about it so much. Ive often said if someone had said to me city hall burn down i would have thought thats too bad and i assume they willrebuild it , but hearing that the library had burned felt like this the, profoundly personal loss. And i thought, why do we feel such a conn