Here at the Digitization Centre we are fascinated and excited by the vast amount of primary-source material that our digitization work exposes us to. Whether a document of historic significance, a beautiful illustration, or even a particularly fine typeface, we are frequently amazed by the materials we’re working to share with the world. So much so, that not only will we crowd around to ogle a particularly interesting specimen, but we’ve started decorating our workplace with copies of some of our favorites. But why stop there? Surely, we can’t be the only ones geeky enough to appreciate such “gems” in our collections, and so we’ve decided to share them here with you. Below you will find some of our favorites, hand-picked by staff from both existing and upcoming collections. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
TIP: To view full resolution versions of the images on any size screen, click to view in Open Collections.
Host Your Next Virtual Meeting with Backgrounds from Open Collections
Posted on April 28, 2020 by margot chen
Like many of you, we are spending a lot more time on virtual meetings here at the Digitization Centre. For this post, we’ve compiled a bunch of backgrounds from Open Collections that will refresh your space and make your next video call, online lecture, or virtual party more fun. From the Uno Langmann Family Collection […]
Gardens on UBC Vancouver Campus
Posted on April 21, 2020 by margot chen
Now that spring is in full bloom, you may miss strolling around UBC Vancouver and soaking up the greenery. So for this post, we’re taking a virtual tour through the campus gardens. Nitobe Memorial Garden Designed by Kannosuke Mori, a renowned landscape architect from Chiba University, Japan, Nitobe Memorial Garden highlights a sense of harmony […]
A Thank You to Healthcare Workers
Posted on April 15, 2020 by margot chen
In this post, we have compiled a few historical images of healthcare workers from the Open Collections. We wanted to take this opportunity to send out our thanks to the tireless nurses, doctors, and all the other healthcare workers who are working hard and saving lives—today and every day. The following images from the World […]
Celebrate National Poetry Month
Posted on April 7, 2020 by margot chen
April is National Poetry Month. We’ve gathered some poetry and related items from Open Collections for your enjoyment. UBC Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections has 250 posters concerned with the advocacy for peace, equality and harmony during the Vietnam War era from the University of California’s Berkeley campus and other regions in the San […]
Open Collections Reading List
Posted on March 31, 2020 by margot chen
During this challenging time, we’d like to share a bit of comfort with you, so we’ve compiled a list of leisure readings from the Open Collection. Enjoy! Travel For the time being, most of us should stay at home and help to keep our communities safe. But this is also a good time to gather […]
Subjects in Open Collections: Canadian Literature
Posted on March 24, 2020 by margot chen
The Open Collections cover a wide range of topics and disciplines where you can find materials to support your research, teaching, and even hobbies. In this post, we select some of our collections that are related to Canadian literature. Books BC Historical Books The goal of the BC Historical Books project is to build a […]
Digitization Centre Closed
Posted on March 20, 2020 by margot chen
The Digitization Centre is currently closed. We are continuing to work remotely, and you can reach us by emailing digitization.centre@ubc.ca. Watch this site for more information and for upcoming blog posts. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @DigitizeUBC.
Landscape Paintings of Canadian Pacific Railway Company
Posted on March 10, 2020 by margot chen
One nice thing about working with Open Collections is that we can learn from our patrons. In a previous tweet, we shared a serigraph print in original frame with a plaque reading Lake Superior, Ontario, Canadian Pacific from the Chung Collection. A patron pointed out that it looks like a painting by the Group of […]
Explore Open Collections: Westland
Posted on March 3, 2020 by margot chen
It’s World Wildlife Day today! In this blog post, we’re going to take a look into the former environmental TV series, Westland. The Westland TV series was broadcasted on the Knowledge Network in British Columbia from 1984 to 2007, hosted by Mike Halleran. The content of the show covers a broad range of environmental issues […]
Explore Open Collections: Association of University and College Employees (AUCE) fonds
Posted on February 25, 2020 by margot chen
With the support of CUPE 2950 – Clerical, Library and Theatre Workers at the University of British Columbia and the British Columbia History Digitization Program, the Association of University and College Employees (AUCE) fonds is now accessible in the Open Collections. In 1973, library and clerical workers on university and college campuses across British Columbia began organizing as […]
