McDonough, Roger H.
biographical statement
NJ State Librarian was president of ALA in difficult times
Reported by John Berry -- Library Journal, 02/01/2002
Roger H. McDonough, State Librarian of New Jersey for 28 years (1947–75), died December 2 at his home in Princeton. McDonough, who worked as a page in the Trenton Public Library during his high school years, worked in the Rutgers libraries both as a student and later as reference librarian. He became City Librarian of New Brunswick in 1937 and was appointed State Librarian in 1947.
Under McDonough, the underdeveloped New Jersey State Library was revitalized, became an essential New Jersey archive with massive collections, and combined with the New Jersey State Library Commission to become a crucial force in the development of libraries of all types in the state. His leadership saw the enactment of the State Library Aid Law and decades of appropriations to fund it. He also planned and oversaw the building of the New Jersey Cultural Center, which includes the state library buildings.
Continued consultancy
After his retirement in 1975, McDonough was quickly enlisted as legislative consultant to the New Jersey Library Association. Proving his vaunted lobbying skills, McDonough influenced the passage of key legislation raising the minimum funding requirement for public libraries to receive state aid, securing the privacy of public library circulation and registration records, and preventing the removal of the state library from the Department of Education.
As president of the American Library Association (ALA) in 1968, McDonough was among the first to confront a growing body of dissident librarians in the association. Under his leadership, ALA became a more open, welcoming organization, with the dissenters helping to bring change from within the association.