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.
Explore Open Collections: Florence Nightingale Letters
Posted on May 11, 2017 by liz otero
As one of many collections of correspondence housed at the University of British Columbia, the Florence Nightingale Letters collection demonstrates the enjoyment of exploration through the life and thoughts of such a famous person. Postcard featuring a drawing of a young Florence Nightingale Through the timeline browser on the front page of the collection, one […]
Interesting People in Our Collections
Posted on May 04, 2017 by kristina mcguirk
Ada Cavendish A famous actress of her time (1939-1895), Cavendish was known for playing Mercy Merrick in New Magdalen and Mrs. Darlington in For Love or Money, among many others. She performed and produced in the UK and toured in America, notably brining the plays of Wilkie Collins to popularity the States. Luther McCarty McCarty was a champion American boxer who […]
Signs of Summer
Posted on Apr 25, 2017 by kristina mcguirk
The school term is over, finals are over, the sun is shining for more than an hour at a time… We’re spotting signs of summer both outside and in our collections!
History and Hockey
Posted on Apr 18, 2017 by kristina mcguirk
Hockey season may be over for the Canucks, but with a long history, the sport lives all year in our collections! If it’s the sounds of hockey you’re missing, we have an hour-long broadcast of a 1974 ice hockey game against Alberta you can listen […]
Interior Inspiration
Posted on Apr 11, 2017 by kristina mcguirk
Planning a remodel? Want to refresh your decor? You just might catch the renovation bug after checking out these spaces! Perhaps vintage log cabin is your style: nature-inspired and cozy. How about a touch of Spanish flair? Milk glass lighting, plenty of greenery and a mix of stripes with more intricate tile patterns. Go glam nerd — but not too glam — by […]
Digital Collections Reading List
Posted on Apr 04, 2017 by kristina mcguirk
When we came across a “tribute list” in our collections, we couldn’t stop thinking about the Hunger Games trilogy—(Hey! Suzanne Collins! We’d be pretty into another series of districts set on a different continent, or in another time period)—and we realized there were a lot of other times we thought of books related to the collection, too. […]
Newspapers: Now & Then
Posted on Mar 28, 2017 by kristina mcguirk
Our collection of BC Historical Newspapers brings a lot of traffic to our website—and it feeds a lot of our blog posts, too! We get lost flipping through the pages of time, but the papers always find a way to bring us back to the present. For instance, the way newspapers were totally the precursor […]
An Ode to IKBLC
Posted on Mar 23, 2017 by kristina mcguirk
Digitizing content for our digital collections happens five days a week in the basement of the Irving K Barber Learning Centre (IKBLC) on UBC’s Vancouver campus. While we pass many hours in the Digitization Centre (here’s a bit about our work space from 2014), most of the digitization crew also spends a lot of time in IKBLC in general: the building […]
Say Cheese!
Posted on Mar 16, 2017 by kristina mcguirk
Our collections feature thousands of photos, from natural wonders to family portraits, but it’s rare to see the person behind the lens—or even the lens itself. Practically, it makes sense, but nonetheless we love seeing the vintage models and often-smiling faces behind them.
Explore Open Collections: UBC Publications
Posted on Mar 09, 2017 by kristina mcguirk
What do the Science Undergraduate Society, UBC Botanical Garden, and Frederic Wood Theatre have in common? They’re all part of our UBC Publications collection! You might expect to find yearbooks, student handbooks, and the Ubyssey—and you wouldn’t be wrong—but UBC Publications also includes a diverse assortment of reports and publications from university organizations. Check out what’s been going on the last 100 […]