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.
Subject Headings in the Rainbow Ranche Collection
Posted on Aug 11, 2022 by Kin Man Leung
We partnered with the Lake Country Museum and Archives to digitize the Rainbow Ranche Collection. It consists of over 1,300 items which include correspondence and financial ledgers, documenting the operation of fruit ranches managed by onsite partner James Goldie in the Okanagan, as well as diary entries and clippings of newspaper articles. To gain a […]
Exploring Vanished Buildings on UBC Vancouver Campus
Posted on Aug 04, 2022 by Kin Man Leung
Since UBC moved to Point Grey in 1925, the University has worked on campus planning. While many new buildings have been constructed, several campus facilities have been demolished, renovated, or absorbed into other buildings for various reasons; for example, to make room for future development and providing better services. If you are interested in discovering […]
Correspondence in Yip Sang Collection
Posted on Jul 28, 2022 by Kin Man Leung
We partnered with the City of Vancouver Archives to digitize over 630 items for Yip Sang Collection. The majority of the collection items are personal and business correspondence for Yip Sang, his family and the Wing Sang Company in the early 20th century. They were donated to the City of Vancouver Archives by Mr. Hoy […]
UBC Theatre Programmes
Posted on Jul 21, 2022 by Kin Man Leung
UBC Publications, one of our featured collections, consists of scanned copies of newspapers and other periodicals published at the University of British Columbia. This digital collection contains 22 publications, for example, the Alumni Association’s Alumni Chronicle, the student newspaper The Ubyssey, the University’s official news publication UBC Reports, and the UBC Science Undergraduate Association’s The 432. In this blog […]
Our First Digital Collection
Posted on Jul 14, 2022 by Kin Man Leung
Roughly 11 years ago, we worked in collaboration with UBC Library Rare Books and Special Collections (RBSC) to build our first digital collection – German Consulate Fonds. Although we are uncertain of the chain of custody which resulted in the acquisition of these German Consulates records, existing documentation shows that the UBC University Librarian William […]
![Tōto Shitaya ezu. [Copy 1], 1857; 安政 (Ansei) 4](https://digitize.library.ubc.ca/files/2022/07/cdm.tokugawa.1-0223013.0001full-125x100.jpg)
Tokyo maps of Edo Period
Posted on Jul 07, 2022 by Kin Man Leung
The Japanese Maps of the Tokugawa Era, one of the world’s largest collections of maps and guidebooks of the Japanese Tokugawa period (ca. 1600-1868), focuses on privately published and travel-related maps and guides. This unique collection has over 666,000 item views and around 18,000 item downloads, mainly from China and the U.S. In this post, […]
![[Storm the Wall], [between 1980 and 1989]](https://digitize.library.ubc.ca/files/2022/06/1.0408308-125x100.jpg)
Exploring Open Collections: Alma Mater Society Image Collection: Part II
Posted on Jun 30, 2022 by Kin Man Leung
If you are a UBC student or alum, there is something you would not want to miss: the Alma Mater Society Image Collection. This two-part series will explore the historical photographs from the Alma Mater Society of the University of British Columbia Vancouver. You can view Part I here. Included in this collection, developed and […]
Exploring Open Collections: Alma Mater Society Image Collection: Part I
Posted on Jun 23, 2022 by Kin Man Leung
If you are a UBC student or alum, there’s something you won’t want to miss: the Alma Mater Society Image Collection. This two-part series will explore the historical photographs from the Alma Mater Society of the University of British Columbia Vancouver. Included in this collection, developed and maintained by the Alma Mater Society (or AMS, […]
New Items in BC Historical Books Collection
Posted on Jun 16, 2022 by Kin Man Leung
One of our biggest collections is BC Historical Books which features around 2,480 items as of June 2022. This collection combines the traditional tools of bibliography with the new tools of the digital world to transform our understanding of, and insight into, the history and life of British Columbia. The three bibliographies of British Columbia, […]
Canadian Pacific Railway stations: Part II
Posted on Jun 09, 2022 by Kin Man Leung
This two-part series features some of the earliest Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) stations in Canada. While some stations were demolished, some stations survive. However, they formed an important part of early Canadian railway history. You can view Part 1 here. This week, we continue to explore the Chung collection and introduce CPR stations in the […]
