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.
Subjects in Our Collections: Canadian Studies
Posted on Sep 18, 2018 by Kelly Stathis
British Columbiana and Canadiana are two of our largest areas of collection development. Our collections hold items that explore a range of disciplines related to these topics, including history, business, sociology, literature, and more. For example: BC Historical Books: This collection contains almost 2,000 books about and/or published in British Columbia. Three bibliographies of British […]
Get all caught up with the new Digitization Centre Impact Report!
Posted on Sep 11, 2018 by eirian vining
Start off the new school year by getting all caught up on what the Digitization Centre has been up to over the past year. You can read all about it in the Digitization Centre Impact and Activity Report for 2017-2018! This report highlights key projects, partnerships, and content development trends for the 2017-2018 fiscal year This year, […]
Travelling with the Canadian Pacific Railway Company
Posted on Sep 04, 2018 by Paula Arasaki
Travelling and tourism are prominent topics in our collections. You could even base your next vacation on some of the items we’ve digitized! Check out some of the major cities represented in the materials of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. Manilla As the capital of the Philippines, Manilla is full of beautiful and fashionable […]
Mah Jongg: A Community Game
Posted on Aug 28, 2018 by Paula Arasaki
You have probably already heard of Mah Jongg. Maybe you’ve grown up playing it or have family who play it. Maybe you’ve tried to play a video game version of it on your phone. Or maybe you’ve only ever heard the name. We are happy to have a Mah Jongg set in our Chung Collection, […]
Arches in Vancouver
Posted on Aug 21, 2018 by Paula Arasaki
On September 18, 1912, H.R.H. Prince Arthur William Patrick Albert, Duke of Connaught, then Governor General of Canada, was in Vancouver for the grand opening of the Cambie Bridge. The bridge’s official name was Connaught Bridge, to honor the Duke, but the unofficial name stuck. This is what The Islander said about the Duke’s visit […]
The Beauty of the Western Manuscripts
Posted on Aug 14, 2018 by Paula Arasaki
Old manuscripts can be full of surprises. Going through our collection of Western Manuscripts and Early Printed Books Collection can almost feel like a treasure hunt! You can find amazing and delicate details in the drawings, the margins, and even the letters of the page. But do you know why manuscripts were created so intricately? […]
Web Archiving
Posted on Aug 07, 2018 by Paula Arasaki
Have you ever been in a situation where you’re looking for information on the internet, find a super useful and interesting website that seems to contain a lot of relevant information, and then when you click… you get an error page! This may be because that website no longer exists or because that page was […]
Subjects In Our Collections: Asian Studies
Posted on Jul 31, 2018 by Paula Arasaki
Our digital collections cover a wide range of topics and disciplines that you can explore through Open Collections. Among our thousands of digital items, you can find materials to support your research, your teaching, and even your imagination. Below, we’ve selected a few of our collections that may be helpful when researching topics related to […]
Canadian Food Recipes
Posted on Jul 24, 2018 by Paula Arasaki
Canada is a multicultural country, and its culinary traditions reflect that. Many people often ask Canadians: what are typical Canadian dishes? I’ve asked that question myself a few times and usually heard “gravy” or “poutine.” Well after a bit of digging, we found the answer, and it is way more than just gravy! While browsing […]
Teach me how: Metadata and Digitization
Posted on Jul 17, 2018 by Paula Arasaki
In our last post, we talked about how you can handle and preserve your materials in order to lengthen their lifespan. This post will explore the Metadata and Digitization steps. As always, these topics can be explored in more depth, and we will point you to some resources if you need more information. Before […]