The fonds consists of the records of the Zoological Society of Montreal for the entirety of its existence, from 1964-2016. These records were generated in the pursuit of the Zoological Society’s goal to enhance public awareness of wildlife conservation issues through speakers, film screenings, field trips, special events, and large projects. The records also reflect the Society's charity to zoological, ecological and conservation causes. The administration of the Society, its interactions with its members, and its projects and events are documented through minutes, correspondence, communications, published articles, financial documents, reports, and proposals. The Society’s interests and activities are also reflected through books, objects from their offices, audio and video materials, and 5243 photographs, most of which are stored in photo albums. The fonds also contains the records of the Zoological Society of Canada, which were created to administer the Canadian Society similarly to the Montreal Society, with the goal of expanding the organization’s reach nationally.

The fonds is comprised of the following series: 1) Activities (1965-2013); 2) Administration (1964-2016); 3) Artifacts (1980-2004); 4) Books (1967-1991); and 5) Newsletters (1967-2016).

The fonds documents Yvan Lamonde’s research activities as a student and professor chiefly through research notes, correspondence and journals, his participation in national and international colloquia and cultural organizations through minutes and correspondence, as well as his publishing activities through contracts, correspondence and book reviews. There is also some personal correspondence and photographs.

The minute books of annual meetings deal with social events, programmes, financial affairs, furnishing of various rooms in Strathcona Hall and various guest speakers. There is also a very brief minute book of the Executive, 1902-1914.

The fonds contains correspondence related to the Osler Library and its holdings with people such as Maude Abbott, Edward Archibald, William B. Bean, Edward Horton Bensley, Archibald Malloch, Casey Wood, as well as John Farquhar Fulton, Keeper of the Medical History Collections at Yale University's library; the fonds also contains a typescript of talks by W.W. Francis (titled "Showman's Patter") about books and other items held in the Osler Library.

The fonds contains one drawing documenting the elevation of an amusement hall for the Ontario Hospital in Hamilton, ON.

A partial inventory of this collection reveals that it is largely composed of the scattered personal papers of the members of the Worthington Family, ca. 1833-1944, especially those of Edward Dagge Worthington and Arthur Norreys Worthington. The fonds also includes a few items pertaining to Edward Bruen Worthington and Asheton N. Worthington. It includes personal, business and professional correspondence; certificates, diplomas, tests, maps, sketchbooks, loose ledger sheets, testimonials, photographs and newspaper clippings. The greater part of the collection consists of the papers of Edward Dagge Worthington including correspondence related to his business affairs, medical career and family matters (1840-1883); medical certificates and diplomas, (1840-1847); two sketchbooks, (1840?); with caricatures of John Goodsir, Alexander Munro, Robert Knox and William Robertson; testimonials (1865, 1867); a resume of his education covering 1833-1843; newspaper clippings and photographs. The papers of Arthur Norreys Worthington are primarily correspondence describing his military activities in South Africa, 1900.

The fonds consists of Workshop on Instruction in Library Use (WILU) Conference records including records of the Steering Committee, Program Committee, financial statements, and administrative files. In addition, the fonds includes a t-shirt from the McGill WILU Conference in May 1999.

Collection consists of 38 letters written primarily by John Wood Senior to family members in England. Many of these were written to a sister or sister-in-law and a few are addressed to his brother, Will Wood, a watchmaker and jeweller in London, including two in which Wood includes a list of trade supplies to order. Four letters are from John Wood's son, Peter Wentworth Wood. One letter is by John's wife, Anna. Contents include topics such as the country's economy, Canadian-British politics, the Woods' watchmaking and jewellery business, crops, slavery, and the American Civil War, as well as local Montreal news on subjects such as fires, the Victoria Bridge, a cholera outbreak, the 1856 Railroad Celebration, and a visit by the Prince of Wales. Letters also include family news, particularly of John Wood's children Peter, John, and Charles, seafaring disasters, gold mines, improvements in shipping in the St. Lawrence seaway and the Atlantic Ocean, the expansion of railroads, and the Atlantic Telegraph. Letters date between 25 November 1839 and 13 December 1867. One is a crossed letter.

The files of the Women's War Register Committee contain minutes and memoranda on the establishment of the Committee, lists of registered women, correspondence with analogous groups, with potential employers, and with individual women, memoranda regarding employers or liaison with other bodies engaged in war work, some accounts and invoices, and newspaper clippings about women's work in war-time.

The fonds consists of alphabetically arranged files on the year’s intellectual, cultural and athletic activities (1983-1985). Included are memoranda, minutes and agendas of meetings, correspondence, newspaper clippings, information on sister institutions and pamphlets published on the occasion of the celebrations. Non textual records comprise of 8 reels of Concertos for Three Keyboards in Pollack Hall by Dorothy Morton, Esther Master and Luba Zuk, as well as 3 reels of the Woman Centennial Committee sponsored Voice and Piano Recital by Margaret Kalil and Janet Schmalfeldt and M. Simons.