J. Emmett McSweeney was born in Syracuse, NY. He earned his undergraduate B.A. in History at Lemoyne College and did his Master of Library Science at SUNY at Buffalo, NY. He served as the social sciences librarian at Utica College for 10 years and since 1989 served as a librarian for the City of Waterbury.
He has lived in Waterbury, CT, for the past 30 years and has at various times served as the President of the Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministries program Day Shelter, President of the local division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and is currently Grand Knight of Council 24 Knights of Columbus in Waterbury, CT. He is married to the former Moira Murphy and has three adult sons.