Emma Osterman Elmer

{{short description|American librarian and author}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2020}}

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Emma Osterman Elmer (1867 – September 5, 1956) was an American librarian and author known for her cataloging work in the Philippines.{{cite book | last1=Alenzuela | first1=R. | last2=Kim | first2=H. | last3=Baylen | first3=D.M. | title=Internationalization of Library and Information Science Education in the Asia-Pacific Region | publisher=IGI Global | series=Advances in Library and Information Science | year=2020 | isbn=978-1-7998-2275-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RJXaDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA136 | access-date=September 6, 2020 | page=136}} She and her husband, botanist Adolph Daniel Edward Elmer were held prisoner in Santo Tomas Internment Camp during World War II. He died there and she returned to the United States.{{cite news |title=Arlington News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/671127310/ |accessdate=September 6, 2020 |work=The Enterprise |date=January 13, 1944 |location=Kennard NE |page=7}}

Emma Osterman was born in Arlington, Nebraska.{{Cite journal|last=Copeland|first=Edwin B.|author-link=Edwin Copeland|year=1949|title=A. D. E. Elmer: Leaflets of Philippine Botany|journal=The Philippine Journal of Science|volume=78|number=1|page=1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OmcbAAAAMAAJ&q=Elmer+1870+Van+Dyne,+Wisconsin}} She was the author of several books about the plant life in the Philippines including Our Philippine Trees and Our Philippine Forests. She was also the creator of Checklist of publications of the government of the Philippine Islands, which she wrote while serving as Chief of the Public Documents section of the Philippine Library.{{cite book | title=Checklist of publications of the government of the Philippine islands September 1, 1900, to December 31, 1917 pt. 1 | via=WorldCat.org | date=September 1, 1900 | oclc=832813509 | url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/832813509 | access-date=September 6, 2020}} This publication, which attempted to detail every publication created by the post-Philippine–American War government, was called "the most important publication issued by the Philippine Library since its inception."{{cite journal |title=Notes |journal=The Hispanic American Historical Review |date=February 1919 |volume=2 |issue=1 |page=110 |url=http://www.jstor.com/stable/2505757 |accessdate=September 6, 2020}}

Elmer married Adolph Daniel Edward Elmer in 1902. They had one son, Anton Dambor Elmer, in 1906.{{cite web |title=Philippines, Manila, Civil Registration, 1899–1984 |url=https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKJR-XSD6 |website=Family Search |publisher=Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints |accessdate=September 6, 2020}}