Charlton, Margaret Ridley National Historic Person
Montréal, Quebec
Margaret Ridley Charlton
(© Courtesy of Osler Library, McGill University)
Address :
3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montréal, Quebec
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
2003-06-30
Life Date:
1858 to 1931
Other Name(s):
-
Margaret Ridley Charlton
(Designation Name)
Research Report Number:
2002-54, 54A, 54B 2002-14, 2001-46
Importance:
Pioneer medical librarian and co-founder of the Medical Library Association, 1898
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: Osler Library, McGill University 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montréal, Quebec
As a librarian at McGill University's Medical Library (1895-1914) and the Academy of Medicine Library in Toronto (1914-1922), Margaret Charlton advanced modern library principles and techniques during the profession's formative years. In 1898, she co-founded the Medical Library Association, which became an international leader in specialized librarianship. A prolific author, she also made a pioneering contribution to the medical history of New France. Charlton's success in a field dominated by men helped pave the way for other Canadian professional women.