Frances Delavan Page Jermain

Frances Delavan Page Jermain was an American librarian and writer born in 1829 and remembered especially for her work in Toledo, Ohio. A memorial publication issued by the Toledo Public Library after her death in 1905 describes her as the driving force behind the library for nearly twenty-five years, praising her judgment, organization, and influence on the city’s intellectual life.

She is closely associated with the growth of the Toledo Public Library in the late 19th century, where she helped shape collections and services and became known as a trusted guide for readers, students, educators, and professionals. Her reputation in Toledo lasted well beyond her lifetime; in 1917, a branch library was named in her honor.

Jermain also wrote In the Path of the Alphabet, published in 1906 after her death. The book grew from her reference work in the library and set out to give readers a clear, compact history of the ancient beginnings and development of the modern alphabet.