ROCHESTER, N.Y. — If you’re looking for Antoine McDonald, you'll most likely find him inside the Rundell Memorial Library in the local history archive. 

"Every time I’m back here I just randomly grab things off the shelf to look at," said McDonald while straightening the shelves. 

He’s worked there since 2017. McDonald is the only male Black librarian in the Rochester Public Library system and part of only 7% of Black librarians across the country, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

“For them to walk into a library building and see someone that looks like them, that talks like them. It’s very impactful," said McDonald. 

McDonald grew up coming to this library with his dad where he learned to read. It’s something he thinks about often. 

“Me working here, walking these halls, it’s something I reminisce about like wow it’s a full circle moment," said McDonald. "I remember being here when I was a kid." 

McDonald attended law school but after spending time in the law libraries he became interested in becoming a librarian. He completed internships at the Law Library of Congress and the George W. Bush Presidential Library. 

"Those two experiences really sealed the deal for wanting to be a librarian," said McDonald. "Because I can do a lot of different things and things I never knew you could do as a librarian."

Now as a research librarian, McDonald preserves Rochester's history. 

“There’s still so many things I’ve learned in this position," he said. 

McDonald works with documents anywhere from the 1800s to his 2011 high school yearbook. 

"Education is the greatest defense against the world. That was my quote," said McDonald while looking at his yearbook. 

While he’s working with the past, McDonald is also looking to the future.

"I want to help inspire young Black people to get interested in reading and understand that it’s valuable and it’s helpful," McDonald said. "My goal is not achieved if nobody comes after me." 

He started an after-school book club to boost literacy in young kids and show them what a career as a librarian looks like. 

The story of McDonald's life isn’t what he originally thought it would be, but looking back he wouldn’t change a single chapter. 

“Looking back on my life everything led me here, even though that wasn’t the plan," he said.