b. 1868, London, England; d. 1945, Vancouver

Tredegar Road Wesleyan School, Bow, London, 1883-87, pupil teacher.
New York State Library, Albany, Summer School, 1916.

1889-1895 School Teacher at Burdette, Rookhurst, and Foxwarren, Manitoba
1895-1901 Publisher and Editor, Carberry News
1902-1906 Reporter, Winnipeg Free Press
1907 Free Lance journalist
1908-1910 Manager, Real Estate, Wm. Pearson Co. Ltd., Winnipeg
1911-1912 Sales Manager, Canada Western Trust Co., Vancouver
1913-1914 Night school teacher, Vancouver School Board
1914-1915 Cataloguer, University of B.C. Library
1916-1922 Acting Librarian and Cataloguer, U.B.C. Library
1922-1940 University Librarian, U.B.C.
1941-1945 Special editorial writer, Vancouver News Herald.

“The Doukhobor pilgrimage.” Canadian Magazine 20:211-22, Jan. 1903.

“The crusade of the Doukhobors: the story of a modern pilgrimage.” Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly. 55, no , 4. February 1903.

“Fort George and its tributary territory.” B.C. Magazine, 1912, p. 755-9.

“Panama and the Peace River.” Saturday Sunset. Annual B.C. Development Edition, 1912. p. 11-15.

“The poetry of the War”. Pacific Northwest Library Association Conference Proceedings, 1917, p. 52-90.

“The university, the university library, and the returned soldier.” Library Journal, v. 43 p. 808-16, November 1918.

“The challenge of the present days.” PNLA Conference Proceedings, 1919, p. 7-8. Also in: Public Libraries, v. 25, no. 4, April 1920, p. 175-8)

“New needs and new responsibilities.” American Library Association: Proceedings of the 42nd Annual Meeting . Chicago: ALA., 1920. p. 195-203.

“Artist - Artisan, which?” Public Libraries 28:55-62, Feb. 1923.

“The new place of books In education.” PNLA Conference Proceedings, 1924, p. 18-28.

“The libraries of British Columbia.” Library Journal 52:646-50, June 15, 1927.

“Address of welcome.” PNLA Conference Proceedings, 1927. p. 43-8.

“Distribution of Canadian public Documents.” Library Journal 52: 1131-2, Dec. 1, 1927.

“Canada's Poet Laureate: Bliss Carman” PNLA Proceedings, 1929, p. 70-77.

Libraries in Canada; a study of library conditions and needs. By The Commission of Enquiry, John Ridington, Chairman, Mary J.L. Black, George H. Locke. Toronto: Ryerson Press and Chicago, American Library Association, 1933. 153 p

“Canada and its libraries.” Library Journal 59:493-8, June 15, 1934

“The Library as insurance.” Ontario Library Review, 18:123-4, August 1934.

1915 Vancouver Public Library Board
1916-1917 Pacific Northwest Library Association, Second Vice-President
1918-1919 Pacific Northwest Library Association, President
1923-1924 British Columbia Library Association, President
1923-1924 Pacific Northwest Library Association, President
1926 Pacific Northwest Library Association, President
1933 B.C. Provincial Library Commission, Member
1934-1942 B.C. Public Library Commission, Member

Jubilee Medal, 1935.

1930-1933 Carnegie Corporation. Commission of Enquiry, Chairman
1925-193? Canadian Library Association, President

Starting in 1927 Ridington spearheaded an attempt to establish a Canadian Library Association, and was twice elected to its Presidency, even though the Association was never incorporated.

University of British Columbia Archives. Librarian's Office: John Ridington.
Stuart-Stubbs, Basil. “1925: CLA launched … In Seattle?” Feliciter, v. 44, no. 5, May 1998, p. 20-25. (Part 1)
Stuart-Stubbs, Basil. “1925: CLA launched … In Seattle?” Feliciter, v. 44, no. 6, June 1998, p. 26-31,34. (Part 2)
Stuart-Stubbs, Basil. “1927: CLA born again … In Toronto?” Feliciter, v. 45, no. 2, 1999, p. 98-105, 122.
Stuart-Stubbs, Basil. “1927-30: The muddle years.” [Summary] Feliciter, v. 46, no. 3, 2000, p. 148-149.
Stuart-Stubbs, Basil. “1930: The Commissioners' trail.” [Summary] Feliciter, v.47, no 3, 2001, p. 140-141.
Stuart-Stubbs, Basil. “1933: The Commission speaks.” [Summary] Feliciter, v. 48, no. 3, 2002, p. 126-128.
Stuart-Stubbs, Basil. “1934: CLA redux… almost.” [Summary] Feliciter, v. 49, no. 3, 2003, p. 161-164.
Stuart-Stubbs, Basil. “1934-46: The long last lap.” [Summary] Feliciter, v. 50, no. 3, 2004, p. 112-115.
Stuart-Stubbs, Basil. John Ridington: The library years. Vancouver, 1998. 20 p. [Unpublished talk delivered to the X-Club, U.B.C.]