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.
Teach me how: Handle and Preserve Family Photographs and Documents
Posted on Jul 10, 2018 by Paula Arasaki
You or someone in your family may have documents and photographs that hold the history of your family. Often times, people are worried that this information could be lost or damaged and want to know how to preserve this history for future generations. To begin to answer how you can save your cherished treasures, we’ve […]
Explore Open Collections: Uno Langmann Travel Photo Albums
Posted on Jul 03, 2018 by Paula Arasaki
Our Uno Langmann Family Collection of British Columbia Photographs has several photo albums with tons of interesting materials. Photo albums act as collections of memories for families and are always a good source for remembering moments, people, and places. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, people didn’t have digital cameras to take multiple photos […]
The seven Ps of marketing in our collections
Posted on Jun 26, 2018 by Paula Arasaki
Marketing is an important part of any business. People need to know about a product before they buy it, and businesses need to convey exactly what their product or service does in order to make that sale. The seven P’s of marketing is a classic marketing tool used to study what a brand or product […]
Explore Open Collections: Japanese Maps of the Tokugawa Era
Posted on Jun 19, 2018 by Paula Arasaki
Maps are not just for marking land. Through maps, you can travel back in time to understand how society was structured, how a region was recognized, the power structures of that time, and other cultural and societal aspects of the place being represented. The Japanese Maps of the Tokugawa Era Collection is a treasure trove […]
2018 FIFA World Cup
Posted on Jun 12, 2018 by Paula Arasaki
The FIFA World Cup is always an exciting event! This year, Russia will be hosting the games from June 14 to July 15, and 32 national teams will be participating. To get you into the sportive spirit, we selected some photos from our collection. After years of preparation and practices… The time […]
OCR and non-Latin text
Posted on Jun 05, 2018 by Paula Arasaki
The UBC Digitization Centre is responsible for the creation of more than 50 collections, all available through the Open Collections website. Our collections are diverse in formats, information and languages. Having non-English materials, or materials that are not written using the Latin-based alphabet, may be a barrier to access and retrieving information. But technology can […]
Eight Business Lessons From the Canadian Pacific Railway
Posted on May 29, 2018 by Paula Arasaki
Lately, we’ve been highlighting some important lessons that can be learned in our collections, including the history of typography, how surgery was performed in the 16th century, and which artists are responsible for the art in the Chung Collection. But did you know that our collections also contain important business lessons? That’s right, business lessons […]
Explore Open Collections: Greater Vancouver Maps
Posted on May 22, 2018 by Paula Arasaki
Do you ever wonder what Vancouver was like just a few decades ago? What used to exist where you live or work? If you want information about Greater Vancouver, you can check out our Greater Vancouver Regional District Planning Department Land Use Maps Collection. The collection has over 1,800 detailed maps—produced in 1965, 1980 and […]
Objects of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Posted on May 15, 2018 by Paula Arasaki
Did you know that we have some of the items in our collections because of a lazy dishwasher? Several Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) items in the Chung Collection were bought by Dr. Chung from a scuba diver. The CPR had many diverse businesses, including cruises, and apparently some crew members were so tired of washing […]
How Are Collections Made?
Posted on May 08, 2018 by Paula Arasaki
While browsing through our digital collections, you might start wondering how all of these items originally came together. Every collection has its own unique story, and we’ve chosen to highlight two such stories in this week’s post. Maybe it will motivate you to start your own collection! Chung Collection The Chung Collection currently has […]