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From teacher to NLS director: Jason Bratton recounts path and mentorship that shaped his career
Summary
In an interview at the Utah State Library, NLS Director Jason Bratton traces his career from teaching in Florida to state librarian roles and the Library of Congress, highlighting librarian Cynthia Hurd’s early mentorship and personal motivations for serving accessible information.
Jason Bratton, director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled at the Library of Congress, described how a chance mentorship and a family caregiving episode shifted his career from science teaching to librarianship.
Bratton said he grew up in Cross, South Carolina, studied education at Florida A&M and Florida State, and taught biology and AP biology. After returning to South Carolina to care for his mother, who was diagnosed with dementia, he moved into workforce and community development roles and began consulting with local libraries.
He credited librarian Cynthia Hurd for encouraging him to consider librarianship. Bratton said Hurd invited him to the John L. Dart Library and later suggested he apply for a library position; her mentorship, he said, “introduced me to thinking about being a librarian.” Bratton later learned Hurd was among those killed in the 2015 Mother Emanuel church shooting in Charleston; he described that loss as transformative and said Hurd has been honored by the library community.
Bratton recounted subsequent career steps: state workforce roles, deputy and interim positions in public library systems, assistant state librarian and then state librarian in Vermont (becoming that state’s first African American state librarian), and later recruitment to the Library of Congress and NLS leadership. He framed his arc as rooted in service and practical problem‑solving for diverse library users.
Why it matters: Bratton’s background helps explain his emphasis on service models, user experience, and practical technologies such as BARD and refreshable braille devices. His account also highlights the role of mentorship and lived experience — including caregiving — in shaping public‑service careers.
What’s next: Bratton said he plans to continue visiting state libraries and multistate centers to inform NLS priorities and invited further conversations about producing materials in institutional settings.
