Reference Help
Chelsea Shriver
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Rare Books and Special Collections
Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
1961 East Mall
Vancouver, BC
V6T 1Z1
Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
1961 East Mall
Vancouver, BC
V6T 1Z1
604 822-0645
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More about Rare Books and Special Collections
Canadian History at RBSC
RBSC has a number of smaller collections which come together to form the overarching Canadian History Collection. Use the dropdown menu under "UBC Collections" in the sidenav, or the links below to get started.
Our Collections
- Wallace and Madeline Chung Collection
In 1999, the Chung family made an exceptional gift to the University of British Columbia Library, with their donation of The Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung Collection. In making a generous gift of this unique and extensive research collection, Dr. Chung gives back to Canada something of what he and his family have gained since his grandfather came from China to settle in Victoria more than 100 years ago.
The Chung Collection has its own dedicated website with descriptions and links to over 25,000 items. - Doukhobor Collection
This collection was started in the 1950's when Professor Harry B. Hawthorn and others participated in the Doukhobor Research Committee. In the early 1960's a UBC graduate student, Koozma Tarasoff, became interested in the Doukhobors. This resulted in the library becoming more involved in seeking out material for its collections.
Maria Horvath, then Senior Library Assistant in the Humanities Division, produced a series of three bibliographies in the early 1970's. Since 1974, Jack McIntosh, a UBC librarian and part time Slavic bibliographer, became involved. The collection has grown steadily and is one of the largest in the world on this subject. - Howay-Reid Collection
The private libraries of British Columbia Judge Frederic William Howay (1867-1943, pictured left in a portrait taken ca. 1920) and Dr. Robie Lewis Reid (1866-1945) formed the nucleus of Rare Books and Special Collections when they were donated in 1943 and 1945, respectively. The collection contains resources about Canadian history and literature, including maps, pamphlets, photographs and correspondence. Of special interest in the collection are the works concerning the Maritime Fur Trade, on which Howay was an international authority. - Thomas Murray Collection
This collection was purchased by UBC Library from Thomas Murray, a publisher and book collector. Filling three hundred boxes and weighing ten tons when purchased, this collection includes Canadiana, Canadian bibliography, various books & pamphlets relating to New France, Western Canada, Hudson's Bay, the War of 1812, Canadian literature, early Canadian Imprints, and other topics. - A.J.T. Taylor CollectionAbout the same time as the Howay and Reid bequests, Mrs. Alfred James Towle Taylor presented the library with her husband's Arctic collection, much of which had been assembled with the help of his friend, the Artic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson. Taylor was a prominent engineer in British Columbia involved in the building of the Lion's Gate Bridge, the British Properties, and the Capilano Estates.
The collection contains material on the discovery and exploration of the Arctic regions, the exploration of the Northwest Passage, and the search for Franklin. Many first editions of the major voyages to the Arctic and the searches for the Northwest Passage are present, along with maps of the Arctic region. The collection mainly focuses on voyages that took place in the eighteenth and nineteenth century.
Related Resources
If you want to continue your research beyond our collections, the links below will help guide you in searching the UBC Catalogue and other important databases and journals.
UBC Library Research Guides
- This guide will help you locate books, articles, online databases, journals, primary sources, and theses concerning history.
- This guide will help you locate books, articles, online databases, journals, primary sources, and theses concerning Asian Canadians, including literature, history, film, and more.
- This guide will help you locate books, articles, online databases, journals, primary sources, and theses concerning Canada, including newspapers, current events, and statistics.
Slavic, Central, and East European Studies
- This guide will help you locate books, articles, online databases, journals, primary sources, and theses concerning Slavic, Central, and Eastern Europe, including language resources, literature, history, films and images.
- This guide will help you learn how and where to access historical photographs, both in collections held at UBC and those at other institutions.
Related UBC Sites
The Chinese Canadian Experience in BC: 1850-1950
- This website will give you an introduction to the Chinese Experience in British Columbia from the 1858 Fraser Valley gold rush to 1950. The history is illustrated by quotations from works by Chinese-Canadian author Wayson Choy. The website also provides links to relevant works in the Chung Collection at UBC Library and the Yip Family and Yip Sang Ltd fonds at City of Vancouver Archives.
Important Moments in Canadian History
- Compiled by UBC professor Dr. Robert J. Belton, this website guides you through important moments in the history of Canada up to 2000.
UBC Department of Canadian Studies
- UBC Open Collections includes digital photographs, books, newspapers, maps, videos, theses, and much more. These collections are publicly accessible online and constantly growing to reflect research interests in the UBC community and beyond.