History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/4/Sara B. Maxwell
MRS. SARA B. MAXWELL
SARA B. MAXWELL was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, February 12, 1837. She acquired her education by private instruction, in the public schools and in the academies of Bryan and West Unity, Ohio. After leaving school, for five years, from 1853 to 1858, she was engaged in teaching. In the latter year she was married to William Maxwell, and in 1863 they removed to Panora, Iowa. After the death of Mr. Maxwell in 1877, Mrs. Maxwell was appointed by Governor Gear in 1878, State Librarian, serving until 1888. During this time the Library was catalogued for the first time. She inaugurated the collection and preservation of Iowa newspaper files, and a systematic effort was begun for the collection in the library of all books and pamphlets by Iowa authors, or relating to the State. After her retirement from the library Mrs. Maxwell was a cataloguer and organizer of libraries and delivered lectures on library work. She was the author of the first History of Guthrie County. In 1892 she was employed by the Iowa Commissioners to make a collection of books and pamphlets by Iowa authors for exhibition at the World's Fair at Chicago, and of this exhibition she was in charge. In 1897 Mrs. Maxwell was elected librarian of the Meadville, Pennsylvania, Unitarian Theological School, a position she has continued to fill up to the present time.