Josh Hanagarne

Josh Hanagarne whipped Stephen King at arm-wrestling, which is really all you need to know.

Oh, more? Okay, he also believes in curiosity, questions, and strength, and that things are never so bad that they can’t improve.

At first glance, Josh seems an improbable librarian. He stands 6'7", competes in strongman contests, and was diagnosed in high school with Tourette Syndrome. But books were his first love: Josh's earliest memories involve fantastic adventures between the pages of Gulliver's Travels and a passionate infatuation with Fern from Charlotte's Web. Everything in Josh's life--from his Mormon upbringing to finally finding love to learning to control his tics through lifting--circles back to a close connection to books. His book The World's Strongest Librarian, illuminates the mysteries of Tourette Syndrome as well as the very different worlds of strongman training and modern libraries. It is also a moving examination of the pain and liberation that can accompany the loss of one's faith.

Currently, Josh is a librarian at the Salt Lake City Public Library and lives with his wife, Janette, and their son, Max, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Internet Librarian 2014

Internet Librarian 2013