Because of the reputation he cultivated as a learned man and his connections in the Denver Public Schools, the superintendent Aaron Gove nominated Dana as the City's first librarian. Dana directed the Denver Public Library from 1889 to 1898, pioneering the patron's right to open stacks, allowing them to browse for themselves instead of having library staff intervening for every request. Dana wanted to update libraries and envisioned them as vibrant community centers rather than collections of relics that appealed to only a small segment of people. Under Dana's leadership the Denver Public Library also pioneered the first-ever collection devoted to children's literature. He was personally opposed to the concept of storytime, preferring for his children's library to focus on the continuing education of school teachers. Dana was the president of the Colorado Library Association in 1895 and served as president of the American Library Association in 1895/96.