UBC Library: Spring update
By Andrea Coutts.

Videomatica collection launches

Videomatica’s legendary film collection is now accessible for borrowing from UBC and SFU libraries.

The unparalleled collection spans more than 35,000 titles, including feature films from more than 75 countries, documentaries, cult and art films, Canadian works and selections from the Vancouver International Film Festival.

UBC and SFU acquired the $1.7-million collection after Videomatica’s 2011 closure, thanks to a donation and purchase agreementbrokered by Vancouver philanthropist Yosef Wosk. UBC received about 28,000 movie DVDs, 4,000 VHS titles and 900 Blu-rays, and SFU received more than 2,500 documentaries.

“From the moment we received the Videomatica collection, we knew how fortunate we were to share it with communities at UBC and beyond,” says Ingrid Parent, UBC’s University Librarian. “The accessibility, preservation and expertise that UBC Library provides will ensure that the collection can be viewed, enjoyed and utilized for generations to come.”

See the announcement and the Videomatica sitefor more details on the collection.

Langmann photo collection donated to UBC

A treasure trove of rare historical photos from the early days of British Columbia will be preserved, digitized and made public, thanks to a $1.2 million gift from a Vancouver art collector to UBC.

The Uno Langmann Family Collection of B.C. Photographs, donated by Uno and Dianne Langmann, consists of more than 18,000 rare and unique early photographs from the 1850s to the 1970s. It is considered the premiere private collection of early provincial photos, and an important illustrated history of early photographic methods.

Images from the collection are being digitized and will be available on the Library’s websitebeginning summer 2014. Library users will be able to request items from the collection through UBC Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections.

View the photo gallery on the Uno Langmann Collection website.

UBC geneticist wins Innovative Dissemination of Research Award

What do Pokemon and science education have in common? More than you might think – just ask David Ng, a UBC geneticist who developed Phylo, a trading card game with a biodiversity twist and crowd-sourced content.

For his efforts, Ng is the 2014 recipient of UBC Library’s Innovative Dissemination of Research Award, which honours UBC faculty, staff and students who find unique ways to share research through the creative use of new tools and technologies.

For more, visit the full announcement.

BC History Digitization Project: 2014 recipients

Congratulations to the 23 recipients of this year’s BC History Digitization Program(BCHDP). Successful applicants include the Nikkei National Museum’s Japanese Canadian Stories project; Barkerville Heritage Trust’s effort to digitize Chinese language Collections; the Museum of Vancouver’s Fashion Accessories Digitization; and the BC Dairy Historical Society’s Butter-Fat magazine Digitization Project.

A complete list of recipients is now available.

The BCHDP promotes increased access to British Columbia’s historical resources by providing matching funds to undertake digitization projects that will result in free online access to unique provincial historical material.

cIRcle ranked as top Canadian repository

cIRcle’s global rankings are on the rise, according to the latest webometrics.

cIRcle, UBC’s digital repository, is the top-ranked Canadian repository – and 29th in the world – according to research from CSIC (the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), the largest public research body in Spain.

Shortlist announced for Basil Stuart-Stubbs Book Prize

Titles about a renowned British Columbia architect, an esteemed Haida artist and Vancouver’s iconic Stanley Park are featured in the shortlist for the 2014 Basil Stuart-Stubbs Prize for Outstanding Scholarly Book on British Columbia.

This annual prize, sponsored by UBC Library and the Pacific BookWorld News Society, recognizes the best scholarly book published on a B.C. subject by a Canadian author.

The three shortlisted titles are:

Arthur Erickson: An Architect’s Lifeby David Stouck (Douglas & McIntyre)

Charles Edenshawby Robin Kathleen Wright, Daina Augaitis, Robert Davidson and James Hart (Black Dog Publishing)

Inventing Stanley Park: An Environmental Historyby Sean Kheraj (UBC Press)

For more information, read the full announcement.

Suzanne Cates Dodson remembered

Suzanne Cates Dodson, a longtime employee and friend of UBC Library, passed away on March 6, 2014. In tribute, the B.C. Flag on the UBC Vancouver campus was lowered on March 13.

Suzanne and her loving husband Earl Dodson, who passed away in 2009, were enthusiastic supporters of the Library.

After earning her degree in librarianship from UBC, Suzanne joined UBC Library, where she worked for 36 years before retiring in 1999.

Read moreabout Suzanne’s life and reflections from her Library colleagues.

Latest recipients announced for Aboriginal Audio Digitization and Preservation Program

Congratulations to the latest successful applicants of the Aboriginal Audio Digitization and Preservation Program (AADPP).

Five projects have been awarded funding under the program, which provides matching funds for B.C. Aboriginal organizations to digitize audio cassette tapes for preservation and access. The AADPP is a pilot initiative led by UBC Library’s Irving K. Barber Learning Centre in partnership with the Museum of Anthropology.

Read moreabout the projects from Lake Babine Nation, Splatsin Tsm7aksaltn Teaching Centre Society, Tsleil-Waututh Nation, the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs and Tahltan Central Council.

Andrea Coutts is the Communications Coordinator at UBC Library