Josh Abraham loves libraries.
Josh and his young family moved to Belle Fourche from Minnesota a few years ago. They like living here. He had a good job working as the operations manager at the Belle Fourche Rec Center. He liked the job.
However, when Wanda Nelson, the director at the Belle Fourche Library announced her retirement a few months ago, things changed.
Josh applied for the library position that clearly suits him, and subsequently assumed the library directorship earlier this summer. In a recent conversation, Josh described his rapport with libraries. “Since I was young, I’ve been fascinated by stories, and as I got older, I grew into wanting to learn more about the world.”
With the availability of print materials and widespread internet access, history and science quickly became Josh’s preferred areas of exploration.
Certainly, there is no better place for a curious person, especially a kid to learn and grow, than a library.
Josh explained another essential quality of a library. A library provides a sense of calm and quiet. It offers a space to slow down, reflect, digest information, and process emotions.
Everyone, even extroverts like himself, needs calm and quiet too. Josh explained.
He noted that there are few available spaces more accommodating than libraries for those who are introverted. Libraries offer community without the need for excessive social interaction.
Josh described how various libraries have influenced his career and life pathway. As a child when his dad was stationed at El Toro Marine Air Base in southern California, the Irvine Heritage Library in Irvine, California was a frequent family stop.
“There was a gorgeous park next to the library We would play soccer and frisbee before checking out books to take home. I mastered riding my bike on the stone spiral in front of the library.
Here, Josh began to appreciate the experience of libraries in a child’s life.
Later as a college student Josh spent a lot of time Memorial Library at Minnesota State University, Mankato. “It was a relaxing place to go to escape away from the constant activity of student life.” He noted.
For the first time he became aware that academic libraries offered an incredible wealth of important documents and materials that serve to augment humanity’s collective knowledge.
At Mankato State University, while benefitting form a comfortable bond with the university library, Josh earned an undergraduate degree in chemistry and a master’s degree in chemical and life science.
His education led him on a twelve-year teaching career at Waseca High School in southern Minnesota from 2007 to 2019.
During Covid from 2019 to 2025 he switched gears and worked as the manager of a team of editors at American Journal Experts, a non-profit organization that provides writing guidance for academic researchers. During this time Josh and his young family began to consider moving west.
As he settles into his new role as director of the Belle Fourche Public Library, Josh has had a little time to reflect. “The big task thus far has been getting acquainted with how the library operates and making it through the summer reading program. I give a lot of thanks to my predecessor, Wanda Nelson, and to Betty Casper and Sam Klinghorn for having it set up and ready to go.”
Josh is enthusiastic about his vision for the library. “I have ideas that I will be investigating with the staff and Library Board. Note that Story Time for preschool kids will continue to be on the 2nd Tuesday of each month (starting up again in September) as well as the Summer Reading Program and Bronc Bingo (in collaboration with the BF school libraries).”
Josh described some potential new activities, services and display ideas. He plans to reach out the Middle and High School to potentially:
Offer tutoring at the library one afternoon/evening
Organize a monthly chess club and chess events
Introduce new reading challenges during fall/winter/ spring
Offer resume/cover letter proofreading
Offer laminating for 8.5” x 11” and 8.5” x 14” documents
See more pictures and read the full issue of the Belle Fourche Beacon by clicking here.
