Biography
Sarah Hagar was born in 1827 in Shelburne, Vermont. Her parents were Luther Hagar, the owner of a local general store, and Clarissa Pearson Hagar. Sarah began her education at the Burlington Female Seminary shortly before the family relocated to Burlington in 1840.
After graduating, Sarah went on to teach in Ohio, and then continue her education by studying French in Montreal. She later returned to Burlington for a little while to teach French and piano. She then went on to teach in different states including Virginia and Maryland. In 1866, Sarah became the governess for the family of Colonel Hiram Berdan, who lived in Lebanon, New Hampshire. After two years, the family traveled to Europe in order to sell left-over Civil War munition. Sarah traveled with them, spending twelve years in Europe, where they lived in a variety of places including St. Petersburg, Berlin and Paris. During her times of travel, she wrote letters home describing the culture and current events in the locations she visited, which are now kept in UVM’s special collections. In 1881, Sarah returned to the United States, and became a governess for the family of F.E. Church, who lived on the Hudson.
In 1885, Sarah took the position of the librarian at the Fletcher Free Library in Burlington Vermont, where she earned a reputation as an exceptional librarian. In 1893, she founded the Vermont Library Association, which to this day provides support for and advocates on behalf of Vermont Libraries. She served as the President of the Vermont Library Association for ten years and attended thirteen National Library Association conventions. During her time at the Vermont Library Association, Sarah particularly advocated for the cooperation of teachers and librarians in order to better serve the needs of students.
Sarah passed away in 1908, after twenty-three years of serving as the Fletcher Free Librarian, working up until three weeks before her death. After her death, she was remembered for her dedication to the library, earning praise from the Mayor of Burlington, who describing her work as the “spirit of the ideal librarian.” Today, the Vermont Library Association continues to honor her memory by giving out the Sarah C Hagar award annually to an outstanding Vermont librarian.Occupation
Educator
Governess
Librarian