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Library archivist is preserving Altoona’s memories

Josh McConnell, the Altoona Area Public Library archivist and department head for information services, is preserving Altoona’s memories for today’s library patrons and for future generations.

Library patrons have questions, and Josh McConnell, 30, of Hollidaysburg knows how to find answers.

He is the Altoona Area Public Library archivist and department head for information services.

“I like to think people will rediscover libraries. I think people have been going it alone with information on the internet, and I don’t think it’s gotten people far,” he said.

The internet is abundant with information that’s not all trustworthy.

“People go it alone on the Wild Wild Internet and find answers on topics that fit their preconceived ideas,” he said.

A library patron recently called him to ask about the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, he said. She wanted to know about it because of congressional efforts to repeal it, but the volume of information on the internet overwhelmed her.

“You don’t have to vet the information yourself. There are professionals who have been doing this for hundreds of years,” he said. “That’s what libraries have always been doing.”

McConnell has worked in the library for four years, and has a master’s degree in library science from Clarion University.

In addition to heading the information services department, he is the library’s first archivist, preserving Altoona’s memory.

“It’s very important for a library because we never had someone with that specific expertise,” library director Jennifer Knisely said.

“We hold a lot of artifacts, letters, a lot of photographs and pieces of history that are important to Altoona. Because of Josh, we now know what we have and we know where it is. Prior to McConnell’s work, the library’s historical items were stored in cabinets without knowing where it was or who gave it to the library.

McConnell found a couple of extremely rare books in the Altoona Library’s possession. One book, “Antiquities of the Jews” is a book McConnell found and gave to the state library because it was published in the 1600s and the Altoona library didn’t have the means to preserve such an old book, Knisely said.

Most recently, the library received a request for a book about architecture published in 1894 from a Seattle architect.

“We had the only copy. He wanted to buy it. We don’t want to sell the book. We want to make it available to others,” Knisely said.

On a daily basis, McConnell helps library patrons.

“I’ve heard every question you can imagine. Some people want to know who lived at a certain address in 1956. We have city directories going back to 1890s.”

Some questions, he just can’t answer.

“There are people who ask medical questions. We steer them to medical professionals,” he said.

However, most things he can help people find, whether it’s through digging up historical information as archivist or helping people understand how to use technology as information. As the library celebrates its 90th anniversary this year, McConnell’s skills are invaluable, said assistant library director Kathy Benzel.

“His personality matches the position. He’s always looking ahead to seeing what the public wants. We now have newspaper archives and an online ancestry program in-house. He was very helpful in acquiring them and knew they would be valuable tools,” she said.

“He is a motivational factor here and his use of keeping up with technology keeps us on our toes. It’s nice to have someone so committed to the library and the work we are doing.”

Mirror Staff Writer Russ O’Reilly is at 946-7435.

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