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.
UBC Okanagan + DI = Gold Mine of Information
Posted on Sep 24, 2015 by Alexandra Kuskowski
UBC Okanagan + DI = Gold Mine of Information Digital Initiatives is at it again with UBC Okanagan Library, to provide you with new historical resources from the resource industry! Employees at DI helped to consult and work collaboratively with Arielle Lomness, Collections Librarian at UBC Okanagan and Dual MAS/MLIS candidate Paige Hohmann, in digitizing […]
Mapping it Out: How We Digitize with the TTI
Posted on Sep 18, 2015 by Alexandra Kuskowski
How do you image the REALLY big items? Or the items that won’t fit in a normal scanner? The largest (and most exciting!) image-processing machine we have here at DI is definitely the TTI. The TTI is used to scan large, fragile, or otherwise oddly shaped items. You may have caught glimpses of it here. […]
Sneak Peek: One Hundred Poets Phase 2
Posted on Sep 10, 2015 by Alexandra Kuskowski
The One Hundred Poets project originated from the personal collection of Professor Joshua Mostow of the UBC Department of Asian Studies. It was made possible through generous funding from the Toshiba International Foundation (TIFO) and collaboration between the UBC Department of Asian Studies, Asian Library, Digitization Centre, Rare Books and Special Collections and Technical Services. […]
Special Edition Blog: Digitization Comics!
Posted on Sep 04, 2015 by Alexandra Kuskowski
We’re celebrating the end of summer at DI– which means fun, games, and the occasional witty digitization! This week we received a set of pretty awesome Lord of the Rings / digitization mashup comics from one of our very artistically talented employees! Of course we had to share the merriment with our lovely blog followers. […]
Relics from a Lost Age: Mysterious Histories
Posted on Aug 25, 2015 by Alexandra Kuskowski
Ready for part 2 of our postings on the cuneiform tablets in the Ancient Artefacts Collection? In the previous post we learned a little about the cuneiform tablets and provenance in general – with a cliff hanger of course. What IS the provenance of Rare Books & Special Collections cuneiform tablets? This post we will come […]
Explore Open Collections: Ancient Artefacts
Posted on Aug 19, 2015 by Alexandra Kuskowski
Made in partnership with Rare Books and Special Collections and the From Stone to Screen project, the cuneiform tablets are among the most ancient objects Digital Initiatives has ever digitized! The tablets are part of Ancient Artefacts collection, which also includes Egyptian papyri. Considered today to be one of the most significant cultural contributions by the Sumerians, […]
Peek Behind the Scenes: The Tokyo War Crimes Trials & the Conde Fonds
Posted on Aug 14, 2015 by Alexandra Kuskowski
The David Conde Fonds is a long-standing project we’ve been working on in partnership with UBC’s Asian Library, Rare Books and Special Collections, and the University of Tokyo (thanks to a grant the latter organization received from the National Diet Library). We are happy to announce that many of the materials from the Conde fonds […]
Hijinks of BC Newspapers Uncovered
Posted on Aug 07, 2015 by Alexandra Kuskowski
BC Historical Newspapers is one of Digital Initiative’s largest and most popular collections—and for good reason! A treasure trove of information is to be discovered within them. With over 24 different papers published from 1887-1911, there is a lot to choose from. The news then wasn’t so much a bulletin of events, but rather a […]
Percy Broughton Journals: A Mysterious Missionary Revealed
Posted on Jul 31, 2015 by Alexandra Kuskowski
What might drive a man to eat his own coat? The answer can be found in the newly digitized journal of Percy Broughton, an Anglican missionary. The journal itself originates from the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) and the digitization is a joint project filed under Special Projects with Digital Initiatives. Broughton, a missionary whom we […]
Free: Love, Peace & Posters Circa 1968-1973
Posted on Jul 24, 2015 by Alexandra Kuskowski
Posters are meant to grab your undivided attention. The colors, the pictures, and the words are all arranged for maximum shock value. Few posters demonstrate the arresting perfection of the medium better than the eye-catching Berkeley 1968-1973 Poster Collection. The 250 posters, from UBC’s Rare Books and Special Collections, are a small but insightful slice […]