Back to the California Library Hall of Fame main page

California Library Hall of Fame

Sarah M. Jacobus

Sarah M. Jacobus led the Pomona Public Library from 1906 until 1946 after brief positions at the Los Angeles Public Library and the Kamehameha School for Boys in Honolulu. Along the way she mentored library workers, advocated for collaboration in librarianship, and championed local history. In addition to being a committed member of the California Library Association, Miss Jacobus was dedicated to the principles of librarianship and mentoring future librarians. She started a training course at the Pomona Public Library beginning in 1908, which later morphed into an apprenticeship. Jacobus led the Pomona Public Library through two world wars, the Great Depression, and the Spanish flu epidemic. Along the way, she instigated a historical society, championed librarianship, built a strong relationship with local schools, and made the library an important fixture in Southern California.