Exploring British Columbia’s historic towns through Open Collections
Many images in Open Collections show places that, while once centers of railway or mining activity, are no longer as populous as they once were. This post explores historic towns in British Columbia. Some resources describe these as “ghost towns” – towns that were abandoned, have a very small population today, and/or primarily exist as tourist […]
Elements magazine in the Discorder collection
Did you know that CiTR briefly published a hip-hop magazine? In addition to publishing Discorder, CiTR released Elements from May 1995 to December 1996. The magazine was edited by Vancouver DJs Jay Swing and Flipout. Although CiTR only published eight issues of Elements, the editors featured interviews with well-known artists such as The Pharcyde (issue […]
How We Digitize: Microfilm
Microforms are reduced-size copies of documents used for access and preservation. There are a few different formats of microforms, the most popular being microfilm (film reels) and microfiche (flat film sheets). This post focuses on how we digitize microfilm. At the Digitization Centre, we have digitized newspaper microfilms using our flexScan equipment. Although microfilm […]
Japanese Canadian internment at Tashme
This February 24 marks the 77th anniversary of Order-in-Council P.C. 1486, issued by Prime Minister Mackenzie King in 1942 to officially begin Japanese Canadian internment. All Japanese Canadians within 100 miles of the British Columbia coast – designated as a “protected area” – were forced to relocate east to the BC interior and other provinces, sometimes with […]
Happy Valentine’s Day from the Digitization Centre!
With Valentine’s Day coming up this week, we’ve gathered together Valentine’s Day content from our collections. From the Chung Collection, check out these “Saint Valentine Dinner” menus and concert programs from 1927-1930. Click any cover below to view the full menu in Open Collections: Not sure what to say to your valentine on Thursday? […]
Colour our Collections 2019
With midterms underway and the dreary February weather setting in, it can be a stressful time of year. If you’re looking for a colorful way to de-stress, look no further than UBC Library’s newest digital colouring book. #ColorOurCollections week, which was launched as a social media festival by the New York Academy of Medicine Library […]
Canadian Pacific Railway hotels in B.C.: Part 2
This two-part series features some of the earliest Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) hotels in British Columbia. Many of these hotels have since closed down but formed an important part of early Canadian railway history. You can view Part 1 here. In previous blog posts, we profiled the two largest surviving CPR hotels in B.C.: Hotel […]
Canadian Pacific Railway hotels in B.C.: Part 1
This two-part series features some of the earliest Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) hotels in British Columbia. Many of these hotels have since closed down but formed an important part of early Canadian railway history. In previous blog posts, we profiled the two largest surviving CPR hotels in B.C.: Hotel Vancouver and the Empress Hotel. Mount […]
Explore Open Collections: Uno Langmann British Columbia Postcards
The Uno Langmann Family Collection of British Columbia Photographs contains postcards, family photo albums, and ephemera from the 1850s through the 1970s. The collection of over 18,000 photographs was donated to UBC Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections by Uno and Dianne Langmann. A portion of these photographs have been digitized and are accessible through […]
Fauna boreali-americana
In the early 19th century, the Scottish naturalist and explorer John Richardson traveled with Sir William Franklin in search of the Northwest Passage. He recorded the scientific findings of these expeditions in two works: Flora boreali-americana (1833-1840) and Fauna boreali-americana (1829-1837). The latter is a four-volume text about the animals of North America and the […]