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Emma Gelders Sterne (May 13, 1894-August 29, 1971), born in Birmingham, Alabama, was primarily a writer of juvenile literature, though she was involved in a number if different activities. For example, at an early age Sterne became involved in the American Suffrage Movement, and in cooperation with a newly established juvenile court, she started a school for delinquent children in 1917.
Sterne began her writing career by serving on the editorial staff literacy magazines in high school and while attending Smith College. She attended Columbia University Graduate School taking courses in English and philosophy. She sold her first story in 1923 while living in Pelham, New York. She continued to write children's books, gardened extensively, and pursued her interest in civil reform. After serving as editor of the Aladdin Books of American heritage Series, Sterne moved to California where she continued to write, often in collaboration with her daughter, Barbara Lindsay. The Kathy Martin series was written under the pseudonym "Josephine James."
The Emma Gelders Sterne Papers constitutes her literary manuscripts in various drafts; secondarily it includes research notes, correspondence, speeches, publicity materials, plays, and poems, reflecting Sterne's literary work and interests in civil rights and women's rights. The collection retains its arrangement as it was received from Sterne, with literary manuscripts, subject files, and correspondence interspersed throughout the collection.