She also campaigned against restrictions preventing women from working in military libraries during World War I, served as president of the New Jersey Library Association, from 1907-1908 and 1921-1922, and in 1923 campaigned against state labor legislation that would prevent women from working during the evening hours.

She headed both institutions during the Great Depression, which strained budgets and required scaling back services and renovations.

In the 1930s, she served as chair of the New Jersey Art Division of the Works Progress Administration, was active in the campaign against appointing Archibald MacLeish as Librarian of Congress due to his lack of professional library experience, involved in the foundation of Dana College and was awarded an honorary LL.D.

after its merger with the University of Newark, and fought against censorship of foreign materials by the United States Customs Service.

She continued to head the Newark Museum until shortly before her death in 1947 of heart disease.