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.
Stunning visual works from the UBC Library Framed Works Collection
Posted on May 19, 2022 by Kin Man Leung
The University of British Columbia Library’s Archives and Rare Books and Special Collections have digitized their collections of framed visual works for the benefit of online researchers. The UBC Library Framed Works Collection contains prints, photographs, charters and documentary artworks that originate from diverse sources. In this blog post, we will explore different subjects in […]
International Nurses Day
Posted on May 12, 2022 by Kin Man Leung
International Nurses Day (IND) is celebrated annually on 12 May, and its 2022 theme is “Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Invest in nursing and respect rights to secure global health.” It is a day of commemorating Florence Nightingale’s birthday and paying tribute to all nursing professionals. On the occasion of this important day we […]
Telegraph in the olden days
Posted on May 5, 2022 by Kin Man Leung
The Chung Collection is an outstanding collection of archival documents, photographs, books, and artifacts related to three broad themes: British Columbia History, Immigration and Settlement, and the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. This collection contains over 10,000 digitized items dating from the 18th century to the 20th century, of which we have discussed the menus and […]
Metadata Cleanup for the Alma Mater Society Image Collection
Posted on April 25, 2022 by Kin Man Leung
During my 8-month co-op term in 2021/2022, I have been working as a Digital Projects Student Librarian at UBC Library Digitization Centre. The UBC Library Digitization Centre embraces new technologies, methods of access, workflows and preservation strategies while building sustainable digital collections to support and enrich the educational, cultural, and economic endeavors of the University, […]
BC Victoria Now and Then
Posted on April 19, 2022 by Kin Man Leung
Victoria is the capital of British Columbia and one of the oldest cities in Canada. This capital has evolved from a trading and commercial hub in the 19th century to a tourist hotspot and a city of government nowadays. In this post, we are taking the opportunity to compare a few recent photographs in Victoria […]
Metadata Cleanup for the UBC Institute of Fisheries Field Records Collection
Posted on April 11, 2022 by Laura Moberg
This blog post was written by Laura Moberg, a graduate student in the Dual Master of Archival Studies and Master of Library and Information Studies program at the UBC School of Information. Introduction As a project for the course ARST 556L/LIBR 514L: Metadata in the fall of 2021, I worked with the UBC Library Digitization Centre […]
Ideas for Indoor Games from the Open Collections
Posted on March 28, 2022 by Kin Man Leung
Since the pandemic, we have been spending a great deal of time at home. We imagine you have tried a variety of indoor games to bring your family together and nurture your relationships. In case you run out of ideas for indoor games, we have your back! We have searched our collections and found you […]
International Women’s Day
Posted on March 8, 2022 by Kin Man Leung
International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on 8 March and its 2022 theme is “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”. It is a day of commemorating women’s movements during the 1917 Russian Revolution, celebrating women’s achievements, and raising awareness of breaking social bias. In recognition of this special day, we have gathered newsletter, […]
Happy Family Day
Posted on February 21, 2022 by Kin Man Leung
The third Monday in February is known as Family Day in most Canadian provinces, but it is also called Louis Riel Day in Manitoba, Islander Day on Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia Heritage Day in Nova Scotia. Regardless of the names, today is the perfect time to celebrate with your loved ones and spend […]
Happy Darwin Day
Posted on February 12, 2022 by Kin Man Leung
Today is Darwin Day. People all over the world pay tributes to Charles Darwin on his birthday, February 12. Charles Robert Darwin (1809–1882) was a renowned English naturalist and geologist who made significant contributions to the science of evolution. He proposed revolutionary scientific theories, best known for the theory of evolution by natural selection. His […]
