[4] In her biography of her friend and mentor, William Howard Brett, Eastman wrote about an early interaction she had with him that would shape her career.

Brett, who was then head librarian, happened to pass by and overheard this exchange, and immediately offered to have someone go purchase another copy of the book for Eastman to check out.

When Brett was killed in a car crash in 1918, the Cleveland Library Board appointed Eastman head librarian in a unanimous vote.

Plans for the new library began in 1912, but political and financial questions (and World War I) delayed the beginning of construction until 1923, after a series of successful bond initiatives spearheaded by Eastman.

[12] Eastman helped devise special centers that would serve patrons’ needs for specific sorts of information.

[15] Eastman's attempts to improve services for blind patrons began in 1903 when she instituted Braille classes as part of the Library's offering.

[17] When Eastman retired, the special service was distributing books to thirty thousand blind patrons across northern Ohio.

Eastman told the Chicago Daily Tribune that "many of the unemployed patronizing the library call for reference works which will be of benefit to them in their vocation.