Explore unique highlights from UBC’s Open Collections, as well as insights into the work of the Digitization Centre. From announcements of new projects and collections to behind-the-scenes looks at our digitization process, we share the stories and hidden gems that inspire us in our efforts to preserve and make accessible diverse materials.
British Columbia Beaches
Posted on Apr 30, 2019 by Kelly Stathis
Now that the rainy season is finally ending, we’re ready to enjoy British Columbia’s beautiful beaches. For this post, we gathered together historic photos of B.C. beaches, from right here in the Lower Mainland to Powell River. Starting locally, we found several photos of beaches at and near UBC in the UBC Archives Photograph collection. […]
Celebrate World Book and Copyright Day
Posted on Apr 23, 2019 by Kelly Stathis
Today is World Book and Copyright Day, an international event in support of books, reading, and literacy. This year, the focus is on protecting and supporting Indigenous languages, in conjunction with the International Year of Indigenous Languages. You can read more about World Book and Copyright Day on the United Nations and UNESCO websites. In […]
Celebrate National Poetry Month
Posted on Apr 16, 2019 by Kelly Stathis
Since this April is National Poetry Month, we’ve gathered together selected poetry and related items from Open Collections for your enjoyment! Our recently added Historical Children’s Literature Collection includes several poetry chapbooks. This chapbook, The butterfly’s ball, and the grasshopper’s feast, includes beautiful engraved illustrations: Our BC Historical Books collection also contains several […]
Maps in Open Collections
Posted on Apr 09, 2019 by Kelly Stathis
The Digitization Centre has digitized several collections of maps, as well as several collections that contain maps among other materials. This post provides a summary of those collections, showcasing some of our favourite maps from Open Collections! Greater Vancouver Regional District Planning Department Land Use Maps This collection contains more than 1,800 maps of the […]
Cycling through the centuries
Posted on Apr 02, 2019 by Kelly Stathis
Now that spring is well underway, we’re thinking about ways to enjoy the beautiful sunshine! For this post, we’ve gathered together our favourite images of bicycles from Open Collections. Recently added to the Uno Langmann Family Collection of British Columbia Photographs, this photograph album documents Clara Wilson’s cycling trips across Canada. Check out the full […]
Explore Open Collections: Tremaine Arkley Croquet Collection
Posted on Mar 26, 2019 by Kelly Stathis
The Tremaine Arkley Croquet Collection contains 1,483 paintings, illustrations, engravings, advertisements, photographs and other ephemera depicting the game of croquet, dating from the 1760s to the 1950s. Tremaine Arkley, formerly a U.S. National Croquet Team player, donated the collection to UBC Library in 2011, with a second accrual in 2013. Funding for digitization was provided […]
Library catalogues in Open Collections
Posted on Mar 19, 2019 by Kelly Stathis
Have you ever wondered about what library catalogues used to look like – or what books were in your local library’s collection many decades ago? We’ve come across a handful of historical library catalogues in Open Collections, which we’ve gathered here for your perusal. You can click on the title or cover of any of […]
Exploring British Columbia’s historic towns through Open Collections
Posted on Mar 12, 2019 by Kelly Stathis
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
Posted on Mar 05, 2019 by Kelly Stathis
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
Posted on Feb 26, 2019 by Kelly Stathis
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 […]
