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.
Now & Then
Posted on Dec 29, 2015 by Alexandra Kuskowski
As the end of one year approaches and the beginning of a new year sneaks up it’s always good to take a moment (or 5) to reflect. The Digitization Centre and UBC have seen a lot of changes, this year and over time. Our new portal Open Collections premiered this year and UBC turned 100. […]
Happy Holidays
Posted on Dec 22, 2015 by Alexandra Kuskowski
Happy Holidays everyone! Hope you are all enjoying the holiday break. We compiled a few items for your to peruse from our collections that run in the holiday spirit. Click on any image to see it closer or download it. Hope you enjoy!
How We Digitize: Vintage Vancouver and a Video
Posted on Dec 15, 2015 by Alexandra Kuskowski
We’ve got a special treat for the blog today! An advance peek at new digitizations: This hand tinted shot of Vancouver taken between 1925 and 1933 is from some of the Uno Langmann Collection items awaiting digitization. It is a panorama taken from the Boundary Road and Trinity Street area showing much of Vancouver proper as […]
Sneak Peak: 3D Digitization
Posted on Dec 08, 2015 by Alexandra Kuskowski
This week we are going give you a sneak preview of one of the coolest new machines coming soon to the Digital Initiatives, and even better a new collection we are partnering with Woodward Library! The machine sounds about as futuristic as it gets—a 3D imager. But not to worry, it is far from HAL […]
Flickr Uploads Updates!
Posted on Dec 04, 2015 by Alexandra Kuskowski
We’ve uploaded a few new collection albums to our Flickr account! All of our Flickr account albums are curated to between 25 and 50 images that represent the collections. Check out all of our albums. The newest collection is 50 curated bookplates from our RBSC bookplates collection. Here are a few of the images up […]
Explore Open Collections: B.C. Books
Posted on Nov 27, 2015 by Alexandra Kuskowski
It’s time again for another “Exploring Open Collections” installment! This week we’re taking a look at one of our biggest collections (and one that’s featured) B.C. Historical Books. Previous to the Open Collections launch B.C. Historical Books was known as B.C. Bibliography and was a standalone site associated with Digital Initiatives – now it’s been […]
Explore Open Collections: B.C. Historical Newspapers
Posted on Nov 20, 2015 by Alexandra Kuskowski
B.C. Historical Newspapers collection is a priceless resource for anyone interested in the history of British Columbia. In fact it is one of our most well used, well-loved collections!The [current] selection of 94 papers [and growing!] and 30,000 items reflects the social and culture life of the communities they were published in, making them […]
100+ Years of the Unluckiest Day
Posted on Nov 13, 2015 by Alexandra Kuskowski
Check the date of this post Friday November 13. A special day for Triskaidekaphobes, people who fear the number 13. Traditionally, in the Western world any Friday the 13th is considered unlucky. Are you freaked out? If you are, you’re not alone. Recorded fears start as early as the 19th century, but some say the practice may […]
Explore Open Collections: CiTR Audiotapes
Posted on Nov 06, 2015 by Alexandra Kuskowski
In a collaborative effort between the UBC Library Digitization Centre and CiTR 101.9 FM, the Student Radio Society of the University of British Columbia, over 300 digitized audio files of CiTR vault content are now available from Open Collections to listen or download in the CiTR Audiotapes Collection. The CiTR Audiotapes collection offers a wealth of […]
Exploring Open Collections: What Can You Find?
Posted on Oct 28, 2015 by Alexandra Kuskowski
With over 138,535 unique digital objects on Open Collections (and mores showing up every day!) you might be overwhelmed, especially with all whiz-bang visualizations and featured collections. In our “Exploring Open Collections” series we’ll pick an aspect of the portal to explore and share with you guys! With so many objects how do I find […]
