HistoricSiteMarkers
Progressive & Modern Era

Medical Library Association

Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania

Marker Inscription

World's oldest medical library association founded here in 1898 to facilitate access to reliable medical literature for the improvement of health care. Among the US and Canadian founders were George M. Gould, MD; Sir William Osler, MD; and Margaret R. Charlton, librarian.

Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

The Story

In 1898, at the close of a century that had transformed medicine into a science, a small group of American and Canadian physicians and librarians met in Philadelphia to solve a stubborn problem: doctors could not easily reach the reliable, up-to-date medical literature their patients' lives depended on. Their answer was the Medical Library Association, the world's oldest body of its kind, dedicated to organizing and sharing trustworthy medical knowledge. Among its founders stood the celebrated physician Sir William Osler and the librarian Margaret R. Charlton, pairing clinical prestige with the emerging profession of medical librarianship.

Why it matters

The association helped turn scattered medical knowledge into a shared, accessible resource, laying groundwork for the evidence-based, information-driven medicine Americans rely on today.

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Related people

  • · George M. Gould
  • · Sir William Osler
  • · Margaret R. Charlton

Related events

  • · Founding of the Medical Library Association

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