Early life
Culver was born in Emporia, Kansas to Joseph Franklin Culver and Mary Murphy Culver. She was the youngest in a family of four boys and four girls. She graduated fromLibrary career
Culver worked with rural libraries in Oregon for two years before accepting a job in California in 1914. From 1914 to 1925, Culver held a variety of positions with the California State Library and in county libraries across the state. Culver became familiar with developing and working in rural libraries as both the Oregon and California library systems had both developed a model for rural library development. Particularly in California, a model had emerged from innovative legislation, enacted in 1909 and 1911, which provided for a state library at the apex of a network of highly visible libraries spread throughout each county. Culver's familiarity with this model equipped her to undertake the development of rural libraries in other states, such as Louisiana. In 1925 the American Library Association (ALA) became interested in supporting the development of libraries in Louisiana and provided a three-year grant of $50,000.00 to promote the development of libraries and the creation of a library commission. Louisiana was chosen out of twelve competing states. The ALA grant, or the Carnegie grant, was offered formally by Milton Ferguson at this Louisiana Library Commission meeting to develop a model of modern library service in the South. The Louisiana Library Commission selected forty-two-year-old librarian, Essae Martha Culver to aid the commission. Culver was familiar with the rural library system which the Louisiana Library Commission sought to replicate. In the summer of 1925, she moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to be the executive secretary of the Louisiana Library Commission. She was later named the first state librarian of Louisiana. The Louisiana Library Commission took Culver's advice and recommendations and decided to establish one demonstration library in a northern Louisiana parish and another in the southern part of the state. Culver directed a project to establish public libraries in rural Louisiana, funded by a grant of $50,000 from the Carnegie Corporation. After Culver's arrival in Louisiana, she received a letter from Louisiana lawyer J.O. Modisette who wanted to offer his services in any way possible. Culver accepted his offer as she had identified shortcomings in the existing library law. Modisette was a licensed California lawyer, and his familiarity with both Louisiana and California laws was a benefit since the development of rural libraries in Louisiana was modeled on that of California. Culver and Modisette continued their working relationship until his death in 1942. Modisette served as the Louisiana Library Commission's chairman. Culver also worked to establish a library school atAwards and honors
* Joseph W. Lippincott Award for distinguished librarianship (1959) * Honorary doctorate from Pomona College and Louisiana State UniversityReferences
{{DEFAULTSORT:Culver, Essae Martha 1882 births 1973 deaths American librarians American women librarians Presidents of the American Library Association People from Emporia, Kansas Pomona College alumni Deaths from respiratory failure People from Salem, Oregon