b. Dec. 10, 1858, La Prairie, QC; d. May 1, 1931, Montréal, QC

1874–1877 Montréal High School, Montréal, QC
1894 Library economy courses, likely taught by Melvil Dewey at Amherst College

1888–1894 Member of editorial staff, Dominion Illustrated
Librarian YMCA Library
1895–1914 Assistant Medical Librarian, McGill University Medical Library
1914–1922 Librarian, Academy of Medicine, Toronto

Charlton, Margaret Ridley and C.A. Frazer (1892). A wonder web of stories. Montréal: F.E. Grafton.

Charlton, Margaret Ridley and C.A. Frazer (1894). With printless foot: a holiday book of fairy tales. Montréal: Sabiston Litho.

Charlton, Margaret Ridley, Henry M. Hurd [and] John Hopkins Historical Society (1914?). Louis Hébert. [S.l.: s.n].

Charlton, Margaret Ridley (1922). “Christopher Widner, 1780-1858: a veteran of the War of 1812 and the first qualified physician in York.” Annals of Medical History, 4: 346-350.

Charlton, Margaret Ridley (1923). “Outlines of the history of medicine in Lower Canada under the French regime, 1608-1759.” Annals of Medical History, 5: 150-174.

Charlton, Margaret Ridley (1923). “Outlines of the history of medicine in Lower Canada continued.” Annals of Medical History, 5: 263-278.

Charlton, Margaret Ridley (1924). “Outlines of the history of medicine in Lower Canada under the English regime.” Annals of Medical History, 6: 222-235.

Charlton, Margaret Ridley (1924). “Outlines of the history of medicine in Lower Canada conclusion.” Annals of Medical History, 6: 312-354.

Medial Library Association (co-founder and first secretary)
American Library Association

Margaret Ridley Charlton Award for Outstanding Achievement
2003, Margaret Ridley Charlton was added to the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada as a “person of national historic significance”
2006, Government of Canada plaque honouring Charlton’s accomplishments unveiled at McGill University Life Sciences (formerly Medical) Library

“Margaret Ridley Charlton … was a pioneer in medical librarianship, a scholar and a founder of an international library association. As Assistant Librarian of the McGill Medical Library … and Librarian of the Academy of Medicine in Toronto … she was the driving force behind the modernization of two major medical libraries in Canada. She helped establish librarianship as an autonomous profession, and, through her example, inspired other professional women to take leadership roles. In 1898 she became co-founder, along with Sir William Osler and Dr. George Milbray Gould, of the Medical Library Association … which led the way for other specialized library associations in Canada and the United States.

“Margaret Charlton co-founded the Medical Library Association in 1898, an international association and leader in specialized and academic librarianship. As librarian at two major medical research libraries from 1895 to 1922, Charlton innovated library practices at a time when most medical librarians were male doctors and librarianship was not yet recognized as a profession. Charlton made a pioneering contribution to the study of medical history in Lower Canada, authored numerous historical works and children’s fiction and demonstrated that women could succeed in leadership positions.” — Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada Submisssion Report.

Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. Submission Report concerning Margaret Ridley Charlton. Accessed March 31, 2016. [PDF download]
HLWIKI Canada. Margaret Ridley Charlton. Accessed March 31, 2016.
Francis, William W. (1936). “Margaret Charleton and the Early Days of the Medical Library Association.” Bulletin of the Medical Library Association 25: 58-63.
Wikipedia. Margaret Ridley Charlton. Accessed March 31, 2016.
Groen, Frances K. (1989). Margaret Ridley Charleston, medical librarian and historian: an evaluation of her career. Montréal: McGill University Libraries.