Young Dr. William A. Altemeier

Hi, I’m Alex Temple, the archivist processing the William Altemeier Archival Collection thanks to a generous gift from the Altemeier family. I’m a Cincinnati native and UC graduate. After completing my BA in History here at UC, I went on to Kent State’s School of Information, where I earned a Masters in Library and Information Science with a specialization in Archives & Special Collections.

Preserving history and making it accessible has been a passion of mine, and I have been fortunate enough to work in a variety of settings and types of work. I started at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County in 2006, where I performed reference assistance and have contributed to numerous projects involving rare and fragile material. I have been a volunteer at the Preservation Lab at Langsam Library for four years, where I help to mend damaged books and other material.  For a look at the exciting work that happens there, you can visit their blog at http://thepreservationlab.org/. I have also participated in a massive digitization project on the Turks & Caicos Islands, where we digitized government and church records, such as marriage and baptisms.  I am also processing a collection for another UC notable, Benjamin Gettler, at the Archives & Rare Books Library here on campus.

While I’m just starting to scratch the surface of the William Altemeier Collection, I find myself really excited to learn about his life and work.  He contributed a great deal to the medical field in his time with hundreds of published articles, and the research, drafts, and manuscripts in the collection will be fascinating to look at. I really look forward not only to learning about his life, but also arranging and describing his collection, working to digitize select materials, and creating an online exhibit. I’ll be sharing notable pieces with you along way, so check back for updates! I’d love to hear your questions or stories, please email me at templea@mail.uc.edu.