A treasure trove of B.C. directories, oral histories, community newspapers, video art, architectural plans and much more will soon be available online thanks to a unique initiative from the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre at UBC.
Launched in 2006, the Learning Centre’s British Columbia History Digitization Program provides funds to digitize projects on B.C. heritage. The program aims to make original and historical documents more accessible to the public.
Earlier this year, the Learning Centre selected 17 successful applicants, whose projects are expected to be completed and ready for free online viewing within a year. These include First Nations and Indo-Canadian oral histories, community newspapers from Prince George and White Rock, seminal B.C. video art and architectural plans of demolished buildings in Victoria.
City directories, dating from 1860-1901, will also be made available in a Web-searchable format. These historical directories — to be digitized by the Vancouver Public Library — provide fascinating snapshots of a bygone era. Classified, industry, and Vancouver and Victoria directories are among the featured items, which illustrate the growth and development of various local communities over time.
“As we begin to collect the digitization projects into a single place, we’ll create a portal where people can find out about their own history,” says Jan Wallace, Interim Director of the Learning Centre.
Digitization involves scanning and converting images, sound or print materials like books and documents into digital files that can be viewed or heard on a computer.
The digitization program supports the goals of the Learning Centre — named in honour of Irving K. Barber, who donated more than $20 million to develop the facility — to provide lifelong learning opportunities for the people of British Columbia.
“This is one of the most exciting programs of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, and it perfectly illustrates the spirit of Dr. Barber’s gift,” says Wallace.
Other projects include the digitization of nearly 3,400 images from the Revelstoke Railway Museum and more than 5,200 slides of the VanDusen Garden. A complete listing of the projects underway is available at www.ikebarberlearningcentre.ubc.ca/ps/2007Projects.html.
“To my knowledge, we’re the only institution of higher education in Canada or perhaps the world that’s taking the lead on digitizing community history,” says Chris Hives, University Archivist, noting that funding for digitization projects usually comes from federal or provincial governments.
The British Columbia History Digitization Program provides up to $200,000 in overall annual matching funds. The program provides three funding categories for organizations involved with the preservation of historical provincial material, such as libraries, archives, museums, post-secondary institutions and community groups. The next round of program applications will begin in September 2007 (see www.ikebarberlearningcentre.ubc.ca/ps/BCDigitInfo.html for more information).
About Irving K. Barber and the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
Irving K. Barber graduated from UBC in 1950, and went on to an esteemed forestry career. In 1978, at the age of 55, Dr. Barber founded Slocan Forest Products Ltd., which he built into a leading North American lumber producer.
In 2002, Dr. Barber donated more than $20 million for the construction of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre at the University of British Columbia. The B.C. Government contributed $10 million and UBC matched these sums.
The Learning Centre, constructed around the historic core of UBC’s Main Library, provides resources and services to support lifelong learning and research for users at UBC, throughout the province and beyond.
Phase one of the Learning Centre opened in October 2005, and the second and final phase is scheduled to open in late 2007. For more information, visit www.ikebarberlearningcentre.ubc.ca.
– 30 –
