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.
How We Digitize: Digital Preservation
Posted on Jan 26, 2015 by evanwill
The How We Digitize series has been looking at the process of creating files for UBC Digital Collections. But how do we store them all for the long term? Well, that is a BIG issue! In general, for each item you see displayed in Digital Collections we have one unedited master file and one edited […]
British Columbia, the Gold Rush, and the Klondike
Posted on Jan 20, 2015 by Emily Chicorli
The Gold Rush (1858 to 1863) was an important period in British Columbia’s history that brought thousands of prospectors and adventurers to the province. All the activity produced by the Gold Rush led to significant impacts on BC’s people and land, such as conflicts with the native peoples who inhibited the land, increased development throughout BC, […]
BC Sessional Papers Phase 2 Now Online!
Posted on Jan 14, 2015 by Emily Chicorli
Phase 2 of the BC Sessional Papers project (from 1887-1911) is now complete and available online. Phase 2 has increased our collection by 25 years! Click here to visit our digital collections page to view the volumes we have digitized. Click here to read more about what sessional papers are and how they can be utilized […]
Managing Metadata: “A Love Note to the Future”
Posted on Dec 15, 2014 by Emily Chicorli
Managing metadata might not seem like a glamorous task when working with digital materials, but it is one of the most important. Managing metadata means ensuring digital materials are identified, maintained, made accessible, made searchable and preserved over time so that the digital materials can be accessed in the future. What is metadata? The classic […]
How We Digitize: Contex Scanner
Posted on Dec 04, 2014 by Emily Chicorli
How do large maps get scanned? How do materials larger than average size get digitized? While we may use our TTI device (more about it coming soon in a new post!) we often use our Contex HD5450 scanner that can handle large format materials up to 54″ wide and of unlimited length. Not only does […]
Coming Soon: Materials from the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE)
Posted on Dec 01, 2014 by Emily Chicorli
Back in 2012 we digitized materials from the David Conde Fonds. We are currently working with UBC Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC) to make materials from the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE) available up on UBC RBSC’s Access to Memory (AtoM) database once they are uploaded through archivematica and descriptions are finalized. David […]
Explore Open Collections: BC Sessional Papers
Posted on Nov 24, 2014 by Emily Chicorli
Project update: Early next year, the Digitization Centre will make the second phase of the BC Sessional papers digitization project from years 1887 to 1911 available online for all to access. What are sessional papers? Sessional papers contain materials that document the political, historical, economic and cultural history of British Columbia. The sessional papers include […]
Updating collections for higher quality images
Posted on Nov 19, 2014 by Emily Chicorli
One of the projects the Digitization Centre is embarking on includes rescanning photographs in the Japanese Canadian Photograph Collection and the MacMillan Bloedel Limited fonds. The goal is to provide users with high quality images and update the metadata to meet new standards. The Japanese Canadian Photograph Collection documents the experiences of Canadians of Japanese […]
Remembering with Photographs
Posted on Nov 04, 2014 by Emily Chicorli
On Tuesday November 11th, 2014, British Columbia will be celebrating Remembrance Day along with the rest of Canada and Commonwealth countries to remember the men and women of the armed forces who died in the line of duty. Remembrance Day (Veteran’s Day in the United States) is a memorial day created in 1919 to remember the […]
How We Digitize: Multipage Scanners
Posted on Oct 28, 2014 by Emily Chicorli
Another machine that we use on a regular basis here at the Digitization Centre are our Fujitsu fi-6670A multipage scanners. The Fujitsu scanners are high-speed, sheet-fed machines that can scan up to 90 pages per minute on both sides, which is approximately 180 images per minute. These multipage scanners can handle a range of material […]
