CURRENT POSITION Adult Services and Acquisitions Librarian, Livingston Public Library, NJ DEGREE MLIS, Rutgers University, 2022 FAST FACT O’Brien made it to the first round of Jeopardy! auditions and plans to keep trying until they make the show. FOLLOW instagram.com/josephpob; instagram.com/livingstonlibrary/reels; josephpobrien.com/writing Photo by William Neumann Photography; mural by Melinda Beck

Hometown Hero

“When I was 13, I saw Pulp Fiction,” recalls Joe O’Brien. “Being part of that audience was like no experience I’d ever had. We were like instruments in an orchestra of adrenaline, gasping, laughing, or squirming together.” They knew then they wanted to tell stories for a living. 

After working at Manhattan’s Strand bookstore, O’Brien became a part-time assistant at Livingston Public Library. “I quickly realized that a public library career would be a great fit. I love reading, tracking down information, and helping people.” They dove into discovering all they could about the New Jersey town. “The more you learn about your community and its history, the more strongly connected you feel,” says O’Brien. On their L-Town radio podcast, community members share personal stories. They’ve interviewed the mayor, a local poet, and Livingston Public’s director, among others. Oral history recordings—digitized to preserve for future generations by O’Brien—also spur fresh interest in Livingston’s past on the podcast. 

Another high-visibility initiative is their “Livingston Luminaries” mini zines, which shine a light on noteworthy individuals who might otherwise go undiscovered by the public. “This project allows me to satisfy my own curiosity while sharing what I learn with the community in a fun and easily digestible way,” says O’Brien. Their teen self may not have pictured telling stories of a suburban town, but grown-up O’Brien wouldn’t have it any other way. “Now after all these years, being able to tell stories with the people in this community brings me endless joy.”