kristina mcguirk
It’s Reading Week here at UBC!
It’s hotly debated whether students use this week to catch up on the homework they’ve neglected, or indulge in the reading-for-fun they put off during the term, or to do absolutely no reading and enjoy all the other activities that Vancouver has to offer. Ironic or not, we’re running with reading as this week’s theme for exploring our collections. Before we share a few of […]
Love and Croquet
After scrolling through just a few pages of the many images in the Tremaine Arkley Croquet Collection, it quickly became apparent that croquet just had to be the topic for our Valentine’s week post. Because croquet is definitely flirty. As evidenced even in our own collection by the many items surrounding the period, the sport was wildly popular in the Victorian era: a time […]
Color Our Collections 2017
Following #ColorOurCollections last year was so much fun, we decided to bring some pages to our blog. We’ve selected from a few sources to show off just a bit of the variety in our digital collections, and we think we’ve found a little something for everyone, from landlocked to nautical and town to country—including persons, places, things, and […]
A Ramble in British Columbia
There are over 1,300 items in B.C. Historical Books, a collection showcasing the history of British Columbia from 1783 to 1952 (and, eventually, beyond). Early works include travelogues that tell tales of grand landscapes, meeting strangers, and surviving in the wilderness. One book that caught our attention is B.C. 1887 : A Ramble in British Columbia. Have you read the Lazy Tour […]
Indulging Our Sweet Tooth
Perhaps you’re the type to want a sugary afternoon pick-me-up. Maybe you look forward to a sweet end after a long, tiring day. Perchance the ides of winter has you craving comfort foods. Or, you just might subscribe to the let-them-eat-cake lifestyle. Whatever the case, it’s not quite the end of January, and if you’re one of the 65% of Canadians looking to use the new year […]
Happy Birthday, A.A. Milne!
English author A.A. Milne was born this week (January 18th) in 1882. Beloved for his creation of Hundred Acre Wood, the home of Winnie-The-Pooh, Milne’s work captured the imaginations of children and adults alike, and our collections include many shoutouts to the author and his famous fictional friends. From inspiring a faculty party in 1942 to maintaining top-villain status in […]
Cats in Stacks
A recent article from the American Library Association reported on the decline of library cats. A documentary 20 years ago cited 201 cats living the dream in American libraries, including such famous felines as Dewey and Browser. However, a recount in 2016 found only 39 library cats. While the Digitization Centre certainly can’t have a pet on the premises (that hair […]